Secrets of an Alchemist's Heart
by TheInvincibleElricSisters
Summary: This is the tale of two young alchemists. Myrte Mustang is the daughter of Roy and Riza Mustang, but can she handle leading men into bloody battles? Jasper Elric is Edward and Winry's son, he hates Myrte..until he starts enjoying her company...Is it love?
1. Chapter 1

SECRETS OF AN ALCHEMIST'S HEART

Myrte Mustang sighed, she was in no mood for her brother's rash comments. "Listen Myrte! You seem to want to follow in Dad's footsteps. First you got state certification, then they decide to send you off to WAR! Please, just resign while your still sane." Hughes Mustang was her younger brother and the more rational of the two. Myrte rounded on her brother, "What! You mean to say that I'm going to go insane?! Dad turned out just fine after the Ishvalan Civil War!" She opened the door to her room and slammed it in his face.

_The nerve of him! Me go insane, HA! I'll prove to them all that I can take war better than any other._ She looked around her room and began pulling books from the shelf, most were leather bound and very old. She carefully placed them in her suitcase atop the clothing and other necessities. She left most of the older more delicate books on the shelf, she couldn't risk losing priceless Alchemy books on a battle field.

She closed the suitcase and looked around at her room, a shiver went down her spine this could be her last time to ever stand in this room, she might never come back from battle. She shook her head vigorously. _I will come back just fine!_ Her brother was probably outside in the hall waiting to escort her to the train. She opened the door and looked around. Sure enough he was sitting on the floor next to the door his head resting against the wall.

He immediately stood up and ran a hand through his yellow blonde hair. Myrte smiled at him, "Are you ready to go?" She asked, her eyes giving him a silent apology. He nodded and they went down the hall, hoping that this would not be their last time together. As they walked Myrte thought about her parents, the famous Roy and Riza Mustang. Everyone told her she looked just like her parents, with her jet black hair and chocolate brown irises. She was a perfect mix of both her parents, she had gained her father's thin solemn eyes, and she kept her long hair up much like her mother had.

Her parents lived in a quiet house, just the two of them. It was in the country away from Central and so many awful memories. There they lived a peaceful life, occasionally hearing from the Elric Brothers. She was the oldest and of course had the tougher more prominent features of her parents, her attitude was hard and mysterious, she usually never let anyone see her true emotions. She had taken to flame alchemy like a fish to water and was an excellent shot with a gun. Yes she was every bit as stubborn and loyal as her parents.

Hughes on the other hand had acquired the less known attributes, his hair was blonde and his irises the deep black, but he had the soft more innocent looking eyes of his mother. He didn't care much for alchemy or guns, he preferred a calmer lifestyle. He had refused to enlist in the military and let his true emotions flow to every person he met. People had sometimes teased that he was not at all a member of the Mustang family except that he looked just like his parents. But then someone in the family had to be soft, more friendly and kind.

The two stopped at the train station and watched as the train pulled up screeching to a stop at the platform, many other soldiers milled about all dressed in brand new uniforms with over-starched collars. She herself had been given a new uniform for the trip to the east. Hughes suddenly wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace. She reluctantly returned it, inwardly grateful for her brother's affection.

The conductor began yelling for the passengers to board and Hughes released her, his eyes wet and glassy. "Good-bye sis." he said forcing his lips to smile. She lifted her right hand in farewell as she turned to board the train. She had twirled around hurriedly hoping her brother would not see the single tear rolling down her cheek. It was the only sign of the sorrow and fear she was being torn apart by. The rest of her countenance was sure and confident, fearless as she took her seat in passenger car.

Hughes stood on the platform trying to regain his composure, he had just barely caught the glimmer of sunlight of his sister's single tear. It had warmed him, she really did have feelings. With her it was sometimes hard to know how she felt about something. He watched the train pull away and was embarrassed to find he was surrounded by women and girls who had come to see their husbands and boyfriends off. With a quick step he hurried off the platform and back into the city.

He sighed, Central just wouldn't be the same without Colonel Myrte Mustang.

Meanwhile, his sister sat in a crowded car with other soldiers, most were ranked above her or just bellow. Myrte didn't talk, she just stared out the window a determined look on her face. Somehow she was going to have to keep herself well disciplined, she had heard the horrors of the Ishvalan Civil War and knew that she would have to keep her wits about her.

Fortunately she would only be used when the situation was too dangerous or got out of hand. The people of Xing had gotten greedy and were on the attack, who would have thought that they would attack their neighbors so suddenly? Myrte didn't like it. She had heard the tales of the Homunculi that her father and the Elric Brothers had fought and destroyed.

For some reason she could only see another crazy madman alchemist at the heart of this developing problem. Yes she would definitely have to keep her wits about her, how else would she survive. Yet the most troubling of thoughts on her mind at the moment was whether she would have to kill innocent people or would she be able to fight enemy soldiers only? There was no way she could live with herself after killing innocent women and children.

Someone's shadow fell over her and she looked up slowly. There above her was the towering hulk of a man known as the Strong Arm Alchemist II. He was the first son born to Alex Louise Armstrong, a good comrade of her father's. He smiled at her, "You must be the Flaming Soul Alchemist?" He asked while offering her his hand. She nodded and shook his hand, trying to remember his name his grip hurt he definitely was an Armstrong. Alas she couldn't pull it up.

He sat down on the empty space next to her, forcing her to scoot closer to the window then she preferred. "Are you ready for this?" his question was whispered just loud enough for her ears. "Of course I am!" She snapped back, her pride slightly bruised. "Good because I think this will be much worse then Ishval."

Myrte turned to stare at him in amazement, "And just what makes you think that Major?" She asked her whisper slightly higher then it should have been. The Major sighed quietly, "Because we are dealing with a people much larger than the Ishvalans. Xing is a huge country rich in tradition and culture, Princes will throw themselves into the war heart and soul to gain the Emperor's favor. No this will be much worse believe me Colonel." Without another word the big man stood and left as silently as he had come.

Myrte rubbed her neck, he was right, this was going to be one bloody war! The rest of the trip was quiet and uneventful, the Major's words echoed in her head until she fell sleep in her seat.

She awoke seated on the train her back against the window and her legs spread across the whole length of the bench. As she sat up the train stopped, it's brakes squealing noisily. She stood with everyone else, praying that the war would be short. Once she had gotten off, the Major took place at her side as they walked. Hundreds of soldiers milled about, a large makeshift building had been constructed of the salvageable remains of the outpost. Rows of tents stood behind the tracks, with more soldiers about. All high-ranking officers were required to take part in a meeting. Here they would be told the full extent of their duties on the field and what was happening.

The room was full of officers and State Alchemists alike, the two squeezed in just as General Thompson took his place on a raised platform. His graying brown hair was short, and he waited a moment scanning over the faces in the room. His green eyes gleamed with a solemn strength, almost a challenge to those in the room. His deep rough voice suddenly broke the awkward silence. "My fellow officers, I regret that we find ourselves in the midst of a fresh war. It has not yet been thirty years since we first stood on the battlefield against our neighbors the Ishvalan people. Now we face a greater threat! The people of Xing have made it their goal to destroy us. But we must not allow that. Country men I am saddened to say that you will be on the battlefield, fighting for your homeland." He paused for emphasis and then continued the grave undertone in his voice gave way to a hard fearless voice that could have been mistaken for a lion's roar.

"The enemy has attacked our outposts along the Eastern border, we received telephone reports that Xing soldiers were approaching them. Every Eastern outpost was destroyed at the exact same moment. The soldiers stationed here had no chance, we lost seventy brave men. Spies tell us that the enemy's camp is several miles east of our location. They had been amassing thousands of troops months before the attack. This was a thoroughly planned and organized move against us.

We have been given permission to use whatever means are necessary to protect our land. This sudden aggression has led us to believe Xing is not our only enemy. We have reinforced the outposts along every border. We at the moment are in a defensive position, we will not strike Xing unless they attack first. There is no need to continue a war if there is the slightest chance to avoid it. For now we are to watch and wait. All officers ranked lt. colonel and higher are required to stay and receive orders." he stepped down slowly, as a hushed murmur filled the silence.

The Major turned to Myrte and inclined his head as he left the room. When the lower-ranking officers had finally left, the room was half empty. Those remaining came forward standing around the platform awaiting orders. One by one the officers were called into a smaller room closing the door behind them, the names were called in order of highest rank to lowest. It was some time before Myrte was called in.

She took a deep breath and strode forward through the door, closing it with her foot, never taking her eyes from Thompson. She saluted him before taking the empty seat. "Colonel Mustang, you will be assigned to the remains of the outpost just north of here. Your duty is watch and listen. If your men are attacked then you are granted leave to retaliate in any way that suits you. We are counting on every man to do what is required. If you find yourself in engaged with the enemy report here immediately. Because you are State certified you will only be assigned one other Alchemist, Major Alex Armstrong the second. Here is your pass, and a list of soldiers assigned to you. You leave tomorrow and will travel by car. The new wilderness models prove to be our best transportation devices at the moment." He dismissed her and she left the building, hoping to find the Major.

Fortunately he was helping to load supplies into the transport vehicles. They were a brand new design allowed for a lighter body, with a stronger frame and larger wheels. They were rather bulky but they could traverse terrain that the street cars were unable to get through. She came up to the truck and began to help unload the supplies as well. When they were through she turned to the Major.

"Well, looks like I have you as a subordinate." She kept her face stiff, she was strictly talking business. The big man nodded, "May I ask where we are being stationed Sir?" She nodded, "Just north of here, we are taking over the remnants of an outpost." He asked no further questions and Myrte left him, she had some other things to do. Her regiment was awaiting their new commander.

She searched the rows of dull brown tents for her regiment's number. She read each sign carefully, she had been assigned the ninth regiment from the second division. They were all from East City and New Optain she paused over the last few names on her list. The last four soldiers were from Lior. She shrugged, as long as they cooperated she didn't care where they were from.

She found the proper group of tents and found the one reserved for her, they had already set it up. Myrte hurriedly shoved her suitcase inside and looked around. Several younger men were sitting on stones and talking with each other. One of them glanced over at her tent and froze when he saw her. He whispered something to the others and they all turned their heads to look at her.

Myrte strode over, her face a mask of seriousness. They all stood up slamming their heals together as they saluted her. She returned the salute and then inspected their uniforms, "Alright, names please!" The first man spoke up in shaky voice, "Frank Gavin!"

"Archer Falman!"

"Karl Fuery!"

"John Breda!"

Myrte nearly laughed, but she wanted to keep up a strict countenance. "Falman, Fuery and Breda! Please come with me!" She turned on her heals and walked out of the tent zone, where there were few people about. All three men followed slowly wondering why she wanted them, was something wrong? The Colonel stopped short whirling to face them. They flinched back in surprise as she gave them a harsh glare before speaking, "Falman, your father's first name wouldn't happen to be Vato?"

Falman nodded slowly unable to figure out why she needed to know, although she looked somewhat familiar. "Fuery, are you the son of Kain?" After another nod, she turned to the last man, who was catching on. "Sir, I am the son of Heymans Breda!" Myrte's eyes flashed and she turned her back to them.

"Do any of you know who I am?" She asked harshly, hoping that one of them was smart enough. Breda answered, "You are the daughter of Roy Mustang!" He announced with a slight bit of pride in his voice. Myrte nodded, "Yes now return to your friend, you know what I'll want." They left her alone hurrying back to their makeshift chairs.

Myrte Mustang returned to her own tent, happy to find some men she was sure she could trust. She rifled through one of her alchemy books, board and still uneasy. She was not afraid of leading a whole regiment, she was scared of making her father's mistakes on the battlefield. There was no need for senseless killing, what good would it do?

Dinner was served early, every soldier needed their rest. Myrte went into her tent, too excited to sleep. She had lost some of her uneasiness knowing that she had familiar comrades with her. The night was too silent for her nervous mind to relax. The Colonel was having some regrets, perhaps her brother had been right. _What have I done? Maybe I should have listened to Hughes._ But her heart told her it was the right thing to do. With heart and mind in the middle of a civil war she was not getting any sleep on this night.

A sudden sound made her jump, she listened forcing her breathing to be silent. _Footsteps?_ It sounded as though someone were walking right outside her tent, at first she dismissed it as a sentry. But then she realized that it wasn't military issued boots hitting the ground with quiet thuds. She dove into her uniform, leaving the jacket open over her silk pajama shirt.

As the footsteps passed in front of the tent's entry she lunged through it and landed atop whoever had startled her. It was a young man with golden hair that shone in the moonlight. He was wearing black pants and a short red jacket. She muffled his voice with her hand, as she whispered into his ear, "Don't move. You probably wouldn't like getting burned." The last part was a direct threat but the man beneath her struggled even harder.

He clapped his hands around then put them flat on the ground, Myrte cursed under her breath as a faint blue glow that was all too familiar to her, lit the ground around them. She jumped back as two pillars of dirt rose up from the spot she had just been. She whipped out a white glove, forcing the fingers of her right hand into it. She snapped her fingers and the air behind her adversary burst into flames.

He dove to the ground, clapping just before his hands touched the soft earth bellow. He then pulled a long spear from the ground it was grand, with a serpent wrapped around the sharp point. Myrte snapped her fingers again as he rushed toward her, the point aimed for her stomach. The spear exploded in a ball of vicious fire sending bits of metal to shower the two. She expertly snapped again this time the ground beneath his feet turning into tongues of flame that licked his leather boots and burned with an intense heat.

Her opponent kicked the ground around him, using the loose sand to put out the flames. He pulled a piece of wood from his pocket and it began glowing, but before he could finish transmuting it Myrte snapped again. The air above them burst into flames lighting their faces and the area around them. The Colonel froze as she recognized the face. "Elric!" She snarled, rushing forward to grab the man's shoulders. He had recognized her at the same time, "M..Mustang?!" he stuttered as she forced him to look at her.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded, glancing at the movement around them. Their fight had caused the soldiers nearest to wake up. They were slowly poking tired faces with sleepy eyes out from their tents wanting to see what was going on. Someone recognized Myrte and began speaking. "Its Colonel Mustang! She's got someone with her, I think it might be the Steal Fisted Alchemist." Excited conversations hummed around them.

Myrte held his shoulders as she glared down at him he was just a few inches shorter than her. His blonde hair was short except for the bangs which fell around his face much like his father's had, he had golden eyes with a fierce gleam in them. And he was wearing a pair of gloves with an intricate transmutation circle on the palms. Major Armstrong came with a light. Elric decided to answer her question, "I came here to join you. Unfortunately I overslept and missed my train!" He shrugged out of her grip and turned to walk away but General Thompson stood just outside the ring of light, blocking his path.

Thompson spoke, "So Jasper Elric, you finally decided to join us?" Jasper nodded, "Yes Sir." He answered in a solemn voice. Thompson turned to look at Myrte and sighed. "You attacked one of our own?" his eyebrows lifted in question. "That idiot shrimp was sneaking around in the middle of the night!" "Idiot Shrimp!" Jasper's voice was offended, "Who are you calling too short to be a dog of the military?!" He asked in a bitter rage.

Thompson sighed heavily, "Elric you will go with Colonel Mustang in the morning seeing as you to get along so well." He turned and walked back through the darkness. The onlookers began returning to their tents as the excitement died down. Jasper trudged off with Major Armstrong mumbling under his breath. Myrte returned to her own tent exhausted, in her anger she finally fell asleep.

The next morning was a total mess, soldiers hurried to take-down their tents and load their belongings into the transport vehicles. Each regiment had a designated loading area where the vehicles sat waiting to be loaded. Myrte was done before most of the others and she hurried to find which vehicle she would be riding in. Once they were all ready to go Myrte climbed in next to Major Armstrong who was driving. Jasper sat in the back with Lt. Colonel Jason Havoc, Jasper ignored Myrte the entire drive.

When they arrived, the scene was depressing. The remnants of the outpost building were nothing more than burned bits of black wood and brick scattered along the ground. They first cleared the area and then pitched tents in several short rows. Jasper made sure he was on the other end from the Colonel. Armstrong then transmuted a large stone wall from the ground, complete with stairs that led to a ledge that jutted from the rock, creating a defensive wall ready for an attack.

Several uneventful days went by, Myrte had everything well organized and ready for an attack. She was not going to be surprised when the enemy decided to strike again. Fortunately Jasper kept well away from her, he sparred with the Major during free time, keeping his skills sharp. Myrte on the other hand spent what little time she had reviewing alchemical battle techniques and shooting long range targets.

There campsite happened to be rich in iron ore and other metals, so the Major kept busy transmuting bullets and other weapons they were not going to run out of supplies. Late one evening the sentry atop the wall suddenly yelled. He raced down the stairs and rushed to Myrte who was sitting outside her tent reading. He nearly fell on her but the Major caught him, gently standing him back up.

"Colonel! The enemy is approaching, they have cavalry and short range cannons!" Myrte shot up, "Find me the Steal Fisted Alchemist! Major come with me." She strode to the wall, her legs taking long strides.

She climbed the stairs two at a time and looked at the desert around her. There in the distance an army approached, burning torches revealing soldiers on horseback leading an immense group of foot soldiers. She nearly snarled with anger, _So they think a midnight attack will catch us off guard?_"Prepare all soldiers I want them armed and ready to man the heavy artillery. We are not going to give them the chance to take a single life!" Jasper Elric rushed up the stairs saluting her as he panted. "Steal Fist, I want you to provide a surprise attack as soon as they charge us. Do whatever is necessary to stop them with minimal casualties." She left him there and hurried to get her own weapons.

She slipped her fingers into her ignition clothe gloves and strapped on her shoulder holster under her uniform jacket, she then loaded four handguns. Two went in her shoulder holster while the other two were placed on each hip. She grabbed several cartridges and shoved them in her pocket. Then she threw her rifle over her shoulder and hurried back to the wall. Every soldier stood ready, guns loaded and the artillery was being prepped for battle.

Myrte was not going to lose her first battle, instead she hoped that it would be her first victory. An hour passed before their enemies were in firing range. The leader sat atop a white horse with its mane braided and an elaborate saddle and blanket on its back. He was dressed in armor decorated with an ridiculously extravagant design. He carried a sword in his right hand.

The Major leaned down to her and spoke in gruff whisper, "We are fighting one of the Princes of Xing! He has brought his clan to fight for his father's favor. They are hoping to win the first important battle." Myrte nodded she knew what they were up against. "But they will soon be impressed by the sheer strength of my own muscular body!" He made to burst from his jacket but Jasper stopped him with a gasp as the enemy began to charge.

Jasper jumped down from the wall and rushed in front of it. He clapped his gloved hands and placed them on the ground, the earth below began glowing as he transmuted the ground into a fragile sandstone. It would crumble under the weight of the cavalry soldiers on their horses.

He rushed back to the wall and took his place next to Myrte, she nodded approval as she watched the enemy approach. She kept her body calm as adrenaline suddenly coursed through her veins, the excitement of battle was undeniably horrible. She was filled with both fear and courage. Her heart said she would win but her mind raced to see the ending of the battle before it officially began.

The Prince was several yards ahead of his army he made it past the trap unscathed. But his men were not so lucky, they stormed onto the soft stone, the hooves hitting the stone. The sound from beneath the hooves was not sound it had a hollow ring to it. With half of the cavalry on the stone it suddenly gave way to a large pit. Outraged screams broke through the night, horses cried out pitifully as the ground fell out beneath them. They disappeared into a dark pit. Those who had not yet set foot on the trap tried to calm frightened horses, crazy with fear. The aftermath was a beautiful sight to both Myrte and Jasper.

Men chased after their mounts, soldiers tried to help their comrades up only to have themselves fall in. The Prince stared at his army and then up at the wall, catching Myrte's glaring eyes. He turned to his men yelling at them to continue the attack. In all the battlefield was nothing less then chaos. Some of the horses had been dragging the cannons, now lost in the huge pit.

Myrte snapped her fingers several times in quick succession, the effect was large explosions of intense fire around those still unscathed. The few horses who were calm were sent into an even worse frenzy. She then snapped both hands at the same time. The ground on either side of the Prince exploded sending rocks and dirt to shower his horse and him. The white stallion reared as the fire reached out burning fingers to the startled creature. The Prince fell from his mount landing in an undignified heap in the dirt and dust. The horse tore away from the battle, it had never rode into such a battle.

Soldiers rushed to their leader's side, he pushed them away angry and filled with vengeance. His black eyes looked back up to Myrte and he screamed out a challenge for her alone. The conditions required her to come down and fight him in a blocked off arena with a single weapon of her choice he would also be restricted to one weapon. Each were allowed to bring two comrades to the arena. Myrte looked at Armstrong and Jasper silently begging for their advice.

The Major slowly shook his head, "Do not except such a foolish challenge." But Jasper spoke up quickly, "Don't listen to him! If you decline they'll think our army is full of wimps. Go down there and show him who's better. He's only upset because you took away his dignity! Pompous fools like him need to be taught lessons!" He nodded his head with finality.

Myrte blinked, he was absolutely correct. _I just need to make sure I win!_ She turned back to the Prince and gave him a challenging grin. Her father often used it when he was challenged by someone he knew he could defeat. "I accept your conditions!" She snarled down to him.

A few minutes later Myrte, flanked by Armstrong and Jasper, approached the designated area. She removed her jacket and handed it to the Major, she had no guns on her person, all she had was her ignition gloves and her determination. Myrte stood on the opposite end of the rectangular space with her subordinates at the two corners. All three had grim faces and gleaming eyes.

Her opponent turned to face her with a repulsive glare. He seemed disgusted to be fighting a woman as he whispered something to one of the two large masked body guards that stood on either side behind him. Myrte noticed that he was a rather handsome man but only on the outside.

He suddenly took a defensive stance brandishing a long sword and Myrte nearly laughed. Obviously he was used to hand-to-hand combat. Myrte remained standing straight her left hand in her pocket. She raised her right hand ready to strike. Her opponent lunged forward sword slicing the air as it came for her. Adrenaline surged through her veins, suddenly giving her strength. Myrte snapped and the air in front of him burst into flames. He halted to avoid the flames, but he lost his balance and landed on his empty hand. He came up into the super-heated air and his eyebrows were singed.

Jasper snickered from his corner as the enemy rubbed his fingers on his now smooth brow. Furious he dove for her, catching the side of her right arm as she snapped her fingers again. His silk shirt caught on fire as she focused on him. Pain throbbed annoyingly as blood flowed down her arm. She was used to a little pain. As a child learning alchemy she had often misjudged and ended up with minor burns on her hands and arms. On top of that she had learned her battle and survival skills from her father who had often used his own talent to drive his lessons home, all at the expense of his daughter's pain.

She spun to face her enemy who was ripping his tunic from his shoulders as the flames ate away the delicate fabric. She snapped again as he readied to attack again, this time the explosion sent him into the air. He flew only a few feet landing on his feet, his eyes burned like the flames as he launched toward her jumping above her at the last moment to land behind her.

He lunged using his indignation and fury to power his attack. She dodged with a smooth sidestep and snapped several times. The air exploded around him, a thick smoke clouding the battlefield. His body flew out from the smoke and his sword sliced into her thigh, this cut was much deeper than the first. She took in a ragged breath as a new pain stabbed into her, but she didn't lose ground. She pulled her left hand out and snapped both hands, forcing the air around her adversary to burst into wild flames.

Dust and smoke alike rose up blocking the light from the torches around them. Myrte smiled as she heard a howl of pain from the Prince as he stood on shaky legs. His face was burned and he charged the Colonel one last time but he was unbalanced and she deftly swerved away from the blade and tripped him with her uninjured leg. He fell to his face and the bodyguards came forward one attended to his master and the other faced Myrte.

He spoke in a gruff offended voice, "You have humiliated Prince Ying! In doing so you have sealed your fate. Had you lost the fight we would allow you to return home with your tail between your legs." He rushed forward pulling out his own sword but the ground shook beneath his feet and he fell. She had no time to react, her breathing had been reduced to ragged breaths and her leg felt like lead.

Jasper rushed forward, transmuting his automail arm into a long sharp sword. He swung his arm down, the blade cutting through the mask and outer tunic. The big man lurched backward, avoiding the sharp steal as a light dribble of blood fell from his brow. Jasper continued the assault, clapping and transmuting the ground into spikes. The man backed up into one of the sharp unnatural protrusions and his side began bleeding.

The bodyguards then bowed to their adversaries as they acknowledged defeat. Carrying their fallen leader they retreated to their own army.

Myrte's leg burned with pain and she limped over to Jasper who stood staring after them. "I don't think that's the last of them." she said in a strained voice. Jasper nodded as he turned to look at her, he caught her as her leg gave out from under her. She felt the flush in her cheeks as scorned herself. Was she really injured as bad as it seemed? Jasper held her only for a moment, the Major picked her up gently, carrying her in both arms back to the camp.

Colonel Mustang squirmed and spoke in a low voice that, Jasper later told her sounded like a growl, "Put me down I am just fine! Let me walk into the camp, I am triumphant allow me to return so!" But the Major refused politely, gripping her slim body tighter. _I swear I will demote them both!_ She tried to speak, but her lips would not move, allowing only a low moan to escape her throat. That was even more embarrassing to her.

Jasper had gone ahead to get the medical staff ready for her, the Major had told him to do so. Her eyes were beginning to feel unusually heavy and her leg was soaked. How much blood had she lost? Perhaps that was her problem, her wounds were still freely flowing her life's blood. She tried to think about the battle but it was a hazy memory clouded by the excitement that had kept her going till the end. _So that's a true fight for your life. I have never felt so alive. The will to survive is stronger than any other emotion._ Those were her last thoughts as she blacked out.

Jasper stood with the doctor as Armstrong carried the Colonel into the large infirmary tent. He gently laid her down several tears running down his cheeks, "She just lost consciousness." He whispered quietly. The doctor hurried over, inspecting both wounds carefully. "Her arm has nothing more than a scratch, but this is deep cut in her leg. I'm afraid that there may be irreversible damage to the muscle tissue. Its hard to tell with all this dust in the wound, what was she thinking?"

Jasper waited outside the tent hoping for good news. He wasn't exactly fond of the Colonel, yet he knew how badly they all needed her. Even he admitted that without her, the battle would have been lost with much worse consequences. Someone walked by commenting on his ability as a fighter despite his height. His anger flared at the use of the word 'short' yelling into the darkness, "Who are you calling too small to see with a magnifying glass!?!"

A whispered curse came from inside and he turned to the tent, poking his head in curiously. For a moment the blinding light obscured his view then the scene sharpened. The doctor stood hunched over Mustang's left leg, his gloved hands covered in wet blood. An IV cord was attached to her right hand and her arm was bandaged. His eyes were filled with hope but the grim line he pressed his lips into showed just how bad the injury was. Jasper quickly turned back to the darkness outside slightly frightened.

Hours went by as the doctor worked well into the morning. Armstrong came up to the tent and smiled at Jasper, who had stayed up all night. He must have had more of his mother than he knew, Mustang and Elric never got along no matter what it was about. Jasper turned tired eyes to the Major who gave him an encouraging smiled. Both men entered the tent afraid of what they might find.

The doctor was sitting in a chair his eyes closed in exhaustion. Myrte lay on the table her leg heavily bandaged, still asleep/ Jasper wrinkled his nose, the room was perfumed with the scent of antiseptic that clung in his nostrils. He went to the doctor and gently placed his hand on the man's shoulder. The doctor jolted awake, glancing around for a split second before relaxing. "How is she doctor?" The Major's voice was quiet and respectful.

"Oh I think she will be just fine. That leg may take more time than she has patience before she can put her weight on it. No use over-straining healing muscles." Jasper heard Armstrong's sigh of relief and felt a twinge of something that remotely reflected the Major's feeling. He hoped she wouldn't be her usual self for sometime.

At about noon she came to, fully awake and in pain. The nurse gave her medication and told her to rest but of course she was already calling for the Major and 'Steal Fist' as she called him. When both men were preset she demanded a detailed report of what happened the night before. Armstrong took charge and retold the entire battle up until she passed out. Then the doctor came and filled in the rest.

At first it seemed that she was going to thank them, "You two just over-react don't you? I can just picture the Steal Shrimp rushing to the doctor and begging him for help!" She allowed her lips a small smile as Jasper's temper blew up. "Who are you calling a shrimp? Like I wanted you to come out alright! I'd be better without Colonel Sarcasm breathing down my back!" He left the tent in a rush, angered more by the Colonel's laughter behind him. Myrte Mustang was perfectly fine.

It took some weeks before Myrte was able to stand on her leg, meanwhile numerous battles had taken place. Amestris suffered few casualties and even fewer defeats. Although many people believed that they would win this war with nothing more than a few scratches, the Colonel and her most trusted subordinates knew Xing had something bigger planned. Mustang's victory was well known by the time she was healed. Her thigh still hurt occasionally a lingering affect that might never fully go away. Jasper and her had fought several times during her time in the infirmary tent.

But when another attack was coming in on them Jasper cooperated fully, he was no fool about war. Xing was still unwilling to take defeat and they came back with a vengeance. Jasper and Armstrong had spent the last few days setting up several booby traps around the camp. Myrte was yelling at several soldiers who were sick with severe hangovers when Jasper came to her. He paused to catch his breath before speaking, "Colonel we have the enemy approaching again. They wear different colors than the first group and are not accompanied by cavalry. Instead they have large wagons with them."

He turned away and began leaving when she stopped him, an idea forming in her head. "Steal Fist, I need you to go in and spy on them, obviously they are planning something much worse, I want to know what their plans are. I need you to find out as much as you can." She grinned at him as he looked at her with shock, "What do you expect me to just waltz in and ask questions?" She gave him a harsh glare, and he feinted fear. "Oh I'll go do it for you Colonel I'll be a good dog!"

She ignored his sarcasm, inwardly amused by his reaction. "Precisely Steal Shrimp, now get out of here!" He was too annoyed to shoot back a good rebuttal. But the freedom would do him some good.

He quickly transmuted his clothes to look like the uniforms the enemy soldiers wore, along with a wig, he carefully changed the color of his gloves to match his skin, making sure he didn't ruin the circles on the palms. He then bid farewell to the Major and headed to the south, he would need to circle around.

Night fell and the enemy camp was asleep as he slunk in. Jasper looked around searching for the tent holding the sleeping Prince. He found the tent at the heart of the camp, but the prince was awake talking to several warriors. Jasper listened intent on what was being said. "I will crush this arrogant woman who thinks she can stop us! The enemy will face defeat by my hand! I assure you I will not fail." A thickly accented voice pleaded. A softer feminine voice spoke in a threatening whisper, "I have given you the more than enough time! You need to get it over with, if you prove to be as successful as you claim I will reward you greatly.

"But I have no room for fools who can not accomplish simple tasks. Finish what your brother could not and I will see no reason to send you after him." Another voice laughed, "Yes your brother was rather unwilling to admit his failure to us. I was a bit harsh I suppose but then, there is no room for failure." Two people left the tent and passed the well hidden spy. He barely caught their faces in the dim moonlight. And was relieved by their normal appearance, he had almost expected to see evil purple eyes gleaming in the light. He knew all to well what had caused the unrest in Ishval and Lior many years back.

The fate of Amestris rested on the militaries shoulders, but was Xing acting alone? Jasper made for his escape back to Mustang and bumped into a soldier who came around the corner. He caught on to Jasper and began yelling, "Intruder! Spy! Help we are being infiltrated!" Soldiers came and surrounded him but he was already clapping his hands and transmuting the dirt. The ground shook as a large pillar rose from the ground taking him with it. He jumped off, landing on a wagon and continued running.

Soldiers approached from all sides and he found himself fighting them off. He did not see the big man sneak up behind him with a large wooden barrel. Jasper felt a sudden pain in his head just before everything went black.

Two days had passed since Myrte had sent Elric to spy on the enemy, the Major was uneasy about the whole situation he didn't like sending such a well needed human weapon into enemy lines. Lt. Colonel Havoc had suggested they wait a few more days, if he did not return the Colonel should send a small group of men in after him. She had agreed that someone would have to go in after him, but when she had suggested that she herself would go everyone had told her that was foolish. Armstrong had pointed out that everyone needed her as their fearless leader.

Another day passed before she decided to send someone after him. Late that evening she held a meeting with Armstrong, Havoc and the other few men she had come to trust. Havoc was going to lead a recovery team in to find and bring back Elric. Fuery and Breda would accompany him, the smaller the group the easier to get him out. They would put their plan in action the next evening, giving them a full night to get the job done.

Jasper Elric came to inside a locked wagon, he was lying on the floor in the dark. His hands were bound behind his back, his feet were free but he was unable to use his alchemy. He struggled up on his feet and looked around in the dark. He could hear voices outside talking quietly. He listened for a few moments, it was just two guards having a regular conversation. Nothing said was useful to him so he felt around the door and the single window.

They were shut tight, leaving him no escape option. He just waited, all he could do was keep his mouth shut and ears open.

He spent two days completely alone, he had heard numerous conversations that held valuable info. Jasper was given bread and water once a day through the tiny slit in the door. The third evening was rather eventful, the guards dragged him out and forced into a small tent. He stood defiantly, facing a middle aged man dressed in fine silk with two swords at his hips. One of the guards shoved him down into a low bow.

The man who could be none other than royalty spoke, "You are an Amestrian spy?" His voice sounded like rocks were being rubbed together. Jasper lifted his eyes to look at the man and ignored the question. "Who sent you?" He asked another question his voice calm.

For nearly an hour Jasper sat on the ground inside the tent ignoring question after question. When his blank stares outraged the man the guards began beating him. Fortunately he could take a good beating, and he never gave in. Instead he enjoyed the blows as they brought out fresh pains that dulled his senses. _Crack! Slash,_ went a leather whip into his back, it fell to the ground and one of the guards kicked him. He was pushed a few inches to the side, his stomach above the whip. With a deft flick of his wrist the wicked man brought the whip up into his stomach, it cut a long gash from one side to the other blood fell to the floor as he held back a scream. Blood oozed from a cut on his forehead, blinding his right eye. He could tell that several of his ribs were broken, and he could feel the beginnings of bruises on every square inch of his body. Several gashes bled openly, his wounds burned and he began to feel dizzy. He knew that he was slipping away, that this might be the last thing he felt and saw. Another deft kick to his stomach left him gasping for air, spots danced around him. He endured a few more devastating blows before the Prince grew board of watching his men inflict wound after wound upon Jasper.

The Prince stepped forward to stand over his prisoner, he knelt down to see into his eyes and smiled. Elric's eyes were glassy and still fierce with his determination. The prince lifted him up by his short hair, "Are you going to answer me or not!?" Jasper shakily stood on his own legs and tried to kick his enemy with what little strength he had left. The Prince caught his leg, and brought his fist into the younger man's face. His body gave out, too weak to withstand another blow, he sunk to the floor completely helpless. His vision was slightly blurred already, but it now clouded until blackness replaced the tent and his mind went followed.

The Prince turned away from his prisoner and the guards carried him back to the wagon, throwing him in with cruel force. They had left his right arm alone, they had no clue about automail. His gasping breaths could be heard from outside. The guards agreed that he would die before morning.


	2. Chapter 2

**Jason Havoc slunk into the enemy lines, Breda and Fuery right behind him. The three were dressed in all black, and heavily armed. The sun had just set and the night was starting to cool off. The enemy soldiers were retiring to their own tents for the evening, only a few remained as sentries. Havoc moved quickly, his eyes and ears alert. He noticed the two guards standing outside the wagon, **_**of course that would be the perfect place for a prisoner. **_

**They circled around the back, Breda and Havoc expertly grabbed the guards from behind covering their mouths with rags soaked in chloroform. The large men struggled under their arms until the sickly sweet scent choked their senses and their bodies went limp. Breda and Fuery stood watch as Havoc began working on the lock. He carefully pushed a hairpin into the key hole and slowly twisted it around. **_**Click!**_** The lock snapped open and Havoc opened the door.**

**In the dim moonlight he could see the limp form of his comrade lying in a pitiful heap on the floor of the wagon. A dark pool beneath Jasper's body reflected the feeble light, and Havoc gasped when he realized it was blood. He rushed into the wagon grabbing the man's left wrist feeling for a pulse, and gave a sigh of relief when he felt the faintest pressure against his fingers. He hurriedly lifted him up and carried him out of the wagon. **

**Both Breda and Fuery assumed the worst but Havoc assured them that the Steal Fisted Alchemist was just barely alive. They bandaged the larger wounds before returning to camp. As they tiptoed to the camp's edge several men approached them, but Havoc reacted by pulling out an explosive device and threw it towards the center of the camp. He hadn't actually thrown a real grenade, it was a decoy. Enemy soldiers hurried to find the grenade before it blew them all up. Havoc and the others across the desert, praying they would get back safe. Havoc carried Elric over his shoulders, struggling to stay balanced. Half way back his arms and shoulder were being pushed to the limits, Havoc could carry a regular person easy, but someone with automail was heavier than they should be. They arrived at the infirmary tent as the sun came up. Myrte and the Major came to them, freezing when they saw Havoc carrying Jasper.**

**The doctor had him brought in and began to work, it would take everything he had to save his patient. Fortunately, they had an ample supply of blood. Before they could put an IV of blood into his hand the gashes had to be closed. The smaller ones were stitched up in no time, yet the large gash in his stomach was another story it was deep requiring more than stitches. Luckily none of his vital organs had been injured, but the doctor required the Colonel's help in cauterizing it closed. **

**Myrte was shaky about purposely burning a person to save them, but Havoc reminded her that Roy Mustang had done the same thing to save Jean Havoc. She did her best and the doctor kept close watch, instructing her on what needed to be done. It was a long morning before anyone could relax, Jasper's body was in such shock that he began the early stages of a coma. **

**Havoc had fallen asleep outside in the sun and awoke later that afternoon sun burnt for which he came in to get some cooling gel. He paused to stare at the unresponsive form on the table he was passing, he sighed heavily before continuing to the nurse. She carefully rubbed the gel on his face and hands, all the while reprimanding her patient for not taking proper precautions as he winced at her touch. He smiled at her, and under his breath asked her out for a date. She rolled her eyes as she explained that she already had someone. He nodded as he turned to leave.**

**The colonel was still in the tent talking with the doctor. Myrte would have made a remark about Havoc's sunburn, had she been in the mood, but she was tired as well. Using flame alchemy in such a meticulous and controlled manner had left her drained. The doctor could do nothing for the bruises or broken ribs, besides that, his biggest challenge was getting the body to recover from such harsh trauma. **

**Mustang came in and checked on Elric once a day, questioning the doctor about the patient's progress. Unfortunately it was slow, his body trying to heal too many wounds at once. Two days after Jasper had been rescued, the enemy attacked in full. The pre-existing traps did little good, these men were better educated and knew how to fight. Soldiers were forced to fight on the battlefield, something no one had wanted. Luckily Havoc and his men were tactful, they took out key warriors. Mustang and Armstrong were forced to fight on the battlefield, using their skills to defeat the enemy one soldier at a time. It was grueling work, no one was left unscathed and casualties were high.**

**Mustang ended up fighting the Prince, after sometime of dancing around each other unable to injure the enemy she pulled out her gun and finished him off. That won the battle, the soldiers stopped as the gaudily dressed man fell to the ground clutching his chest. Leaving the enemy deprived of a leader was a sure way to victory. The enemy began retreating running from the battles field, some carrying their fallen Prince. Myrte's men lifted their guns shooting into the air. But the celebrating was cut short, those on the battlefield were surrounded by fallen comrades and enemies. She gagged. Blood was everywhere, even she was covered in it, not all of it was her own. She had acquired some minor injuries, most everyone had. But the fact that this battle had been as violent and murderous as it had left her feeling sick. Bodies lay in repulsive heaps where they had fallen. Many still had weapons in their hands or eyes wide open.**

**Myrte prayed she had lost few men but blue uniforms dotted the field as much as the enemies red and gold.**

**She herself led the team searching for survivors, they found several surviving enemy soldiers along with a handful of their own. She had all of them brought to the infirmary, she would not be known for cruelty to the enemy. In no way would she make the mistakes of those who had fought in the Ishvalan war just years before her. The wounded were taken to the infirmary, the nurses hurrying to stop the bleeding before they could be brought in for more thorough medical attention. The doctor did what he could, unable to say whether all of the wounded would survive.**

**Myrte declined her privilege to clean up first, letting her subordinates wash the filth of battle off. Myrte could wait, she had cleaned off her face and arms already, and she just wanted to know how many men she had lost. Major Armstrong came to her with a sad glint in his glassy eyes. He stopped in front of her and saluted, but he was unable to speak. Instead he choked on the first word, it came out as a strange mournful sound. He bent his head as he tried to forget the field, he bent to the ground and wrote in the sand with his finger. He then turned and slowly walked off, someone said they saw tears running down his face.**

**Myrte looked at the shakily written numbers in the sand, and sighed. She had lost fifty men, out of the four hundred stationed there with her. The enemy had lost nearly twice that much, but even that was little comfort. Already she was wishing to be home and out of battle, safe and comfortable with the war far behind her. Few men slept that night, most were busy retrieving fallen comrades or recording the important facts of the battle. Cleanup was even worse than battle, no one wanted to carry the deceased to coffins that the Major was dutifully transmuting. Myrte herself was compassionate enough to lead the soldiers assigned to retrieving the fallen. It seemed that the night would never end. **

**At dawn Armstrong led a caravan of vehicles back to the military headquarters loaded with coffins. Soldiers deserved the right to be returned home. **

**Myrte fell into a depression, obviously she had not been as ready as she had thought. Days passed, no one saw her emerge from her tent, the Major brought her food but she refused it every time. The doctor tried talking to her but she was unreachable in a state of half living. Her skin paled and her eyes were devoid of the mischievous shine they were famous for. Her hair was left down, uncombed it became a mess.**

**The soldiers began talking about her, wondering if she had gone mad or if she would be replaced. Havoc even tried to console her with the stories he had heard about their fathers. Even they persevered through the worst of times. When her visitors became bothersome she would turn her back to them, she would not speak a word or use her alchemy. The heat of battle had kept her going, but she was ashamed for the lives her victory had cost. **

**No one could reach her, Armstrong tried to scare her into coming out of her half dead state. No threat worked, he even ripped his shirt off and flexed his muscles in front of her, something that she loathed. She finally began excepting food when the pain of hunger defeated her. While her condition deteriorated Elric finally began to heal properly in leaps and bounds. The doctor hoped that maybe the one man who could make the Colonel angry would shock her back to life. **

**Havoc kept watch around her tent at night, not one soldier doubted that she might try suicide at any time. As he paced in front of her tent he wished that she would just snap out of it. He was afraid that they would be attacked without their Colonel to guide them. Sure Armstrong was there but Mustang had her father's talent for success on the battlefield. He was going to call in a specialist if she did not come out of it soon. **

**No one knew when Jasper was going to wake up, or if he would remember anything. They all hoped he was the key to unlocking Myrte's soul. Somehow word escaped to military HQ that she was not fit for duty. A letter came from General Thompson, Armstrong read it aloud to Havoc, Fuery, Fallman, and Breda. **

_**Colonel Mustang,**_

_**We have received word that you are no longer able to command your regiment on the battlefield. If this be the truth we will be forced to strip you of rank and title and return you home. To decide whether or not you will remain where you are, I am personally coming for an inspection. I hope that the rumors I have heard are nothing more than ridiculous lies spread about you. I will arrive unannounced some time within the next two weeks.**_

_**General Thompson**_

**Armstrong looked at the other men, searching their faces for their reactions. Havoc was the first to speak, "We have to get her to snap out of it or we're in trouble. Who will they send as a replacement?" The others nodded in agreement. They all strode to Myrte's tent, letter in hand. **

**Myrte ignored what they told her. Havoc reread the letter, speaking clearly trying to scare her. When he yelled at her in frustration to say something she turned around, and he left her alone. As they racked their brains for a solution the nurse came to them excited. "Lt. Colonel, Mr. Elric is awake!"**

**Armstrong and Havoc blew past her as they rushed to the infirmary, both relieved and scared at the same time. If Jasper did not remember his own name they were hopeless, but if he could get under the Colonel's skin like always, perhaps she would come out of her depression. Fortunately, Havoc had been in charge since the battle and kept everything just how Mustang liked. The doctor heard them coming and hurried out to stop them. **

**Both men came to sudden halts, barely avoiding the doctor who blocked their path. He shook his head at them and spoke quietly, "Mr. Elric is awake yes, and he seems to be recovering nicely. There is no memory damage, which surprises me. He suffered extreme trauma and wounds, how did he come out of it?" The last bit was to himself, they suddenly heard a thump from inside and the doctor stalked back inside suddenly angry, the other two right on his heals.**

**What they saw was completely unexpected. Jasper stood in the center of the room fully dressed and ready to leave. His face was still purple with bruises and he held his stomach with his left arm. He was arguing with a nurse his voice hard and angry, "I am fine! Let me out. I can't believe you came and rescued me!" He suddenly turned to Havoc, his golden eyes fierce with anger. "But what's this about the Colonel, the life of a soldier too harsh for a delicate woman like herself?" His voice dripped with sarcasm as he yanked the IV cord out of his hand. **

**The nurse gave a sharp gasp as he carefully set it on the bed. He smiled at the nurse before stepping past the doctor, grabbing Armstrong and Havoc's jackets. The doctor called behind him but Jasper ignored him completely. The two went with him, a little perplexed and slightly grateful. He stopped several yards from Myrte's tent, they sat in the dirt in a tight circle. "So tell me what has happened while I've been sleeping like a baby."**

**Havoc retold the entire story from when he led the recovery team to get him. **

**When he mentioned the Colonel's dire state Jasper smiled. "So she's just like her father! She just cracked a lot earlier. I guess its up to me to save us all!" Without a word about what he would do he stomped to her tent, and flung the fabric aside as he came in. They heard Myrte gasp when she saw him, no one was expecting Elric to be up and about already.**

**Jasper sat down in front of her a harsh glare in his eyes. His glare softened when he saw how dead her eyes were. He was taken aback by her sorrow, she was not the Mustang he knew. Something inside him sucked away the anger, filling his heart with compassion. This sudden kindness toward the Colonel scared him. She looked more like a zombie than Roy Mustang's daughter. Her face was pale, her dark eyes dull, and her hair a mess. "What happened?" He asked in a quiet whisper, amazed by her vulnerability. **

**She made no other sounds, nor did she begin to open her mouth. Several minutes passed before he spoke again, "Myrte, are you ALRIGHT?" He put emphasis on the last word, hoping to get an answer. She remained inarticulate, unable to even look at him. After fifteen minutes of unanswered questions Jasper's anger returned. He began yelling at her, "ANSWER ME! WHAT IS WRONG?!" Jasper gasped as his stomach burned with pain, he wrapped his left arm around it waiting till it dissipated. Myrte looked at the ground.**

**Jasper raised his right arm up, his sudden compassion gone as fast as it had come, and swung it into her face. **_**SMACK!**_** His steel hand collided with her cheek. Three things happened all at once, first, Jasper apologized as a look of shock replaced Myrte's ghostly pallor. Second, Havoc and Armstrong came rushing to the tent poking their heads in to see what was going on. And third, Mustang spoke, as her cheek turned violet red. "WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!" She looked around and blushed, "I'm sorry, Thank you Jasper." **

**Everyone moved aside so she could leave the tent, determination once again lighting her eyes. She then asked Havoc for a report on everything. He dutifully reported what had gone. She took the letter from Armstrong and cursed under her breath, "Great! Well, I guess we just have to prove the rumors wrong! Good to see you back in action Steel Fist!" The three men looked at each other as she walked away. Jasper shrugged his shoulders, "All I did was slap her."**

**That night Myrte came to dinner with the color returned to her skin, her hair was done up in its usual fashion and her left cheek wore a nice blue-black bruise. She talked with Armstrong and Havoc, getting the latest news from Central. Jasper joined them as well, listening to what he had also missed. While he was well recovered, the gash on his stomach was not completely healed. The long cut was tender, and he retired early seeking the doctor's help.**

**He was given some pain medication and then went to his tent. He hung his jacket on a hook he had transmuted from the tent's pole. After changing, he laid down on his sleeping bag and tried to get some sleep. The information he had gained disturbed him, and he had been unable to tell the Colonel what he had learned.**

**The next morning he rose early, the pain in his stomach pulling him from his peaceful sleep. Jasper found Myrte alone and asked her to join him. They left the camp, heading out into the hot sand. He transmuted a stone umbrella for shade, before explaining himself. "I have some information I gathered while I was there." He paused as he sat down in the warm sand. **

**She nodded for him to continue, as she herself sat down. Jasper finished in a low voice, "First of all the Prince from our second visitors was talking to a man and a woman who seem to be behind it. They mentioned the first man you fought and how his failure had displeased them. I caught a tiny glimpse of their faces in the moonlight. Dark hair and light eyes, both were slim and the man was taller than the woman. But I also heard the Guards commenting about General Thompson. Something about a rendezvous with him, to get information. And then," He put his hand up to stop her interruption, "I heard the woman talking with the guards, she said some very interesting things. 'Don't let your prisoner live, he happens to be an Elric and very powerful alchemist. Tomorrow you are to get any information you can from him, then beat him to death. I don't what Elric or Mustang to ruin my plans. **

**If you and your Prince fail to dispose of them both the punishment will be severe. I know how much your clan needs the throne, make me happy and your leader will be named Emperor.' That was all I heard but they obviously are manipulating Xing."**

**Jasper stopped and looked at Myrte's thoughtful face. "Hm, what are they planning? Obviously this woman is very powerful and wants to get rid of us. Who is she? You didn't hear any one call her by name did you?" She turned to him with a hopeful gleam in her eyes. He shook his head, "They called her by a title, I believe they called her Empress."**

**Mustang sighed, "Could she be the dieing Emperors wife? If so what does she want with Amestris? We need more information!" She stood and strode back to the camp, Jasper dissembled the umbrella and caught up with her. He knew she was already planning her next move, she would get what she needed soon enough. **

"**I have several prisoners that we brought back to heal, perhaps they will talk." They went and asked Havoc and Armstrong to join them, before continuing to the makeshift prison. Myrte wanted to question them herself and had them brought out to her.\**

**They were sat down in a row, most with defiant glares staring back at Myrte. But a few had a fearful look in their eyes. Myrte asked the questions in a hard, no-nonsense tone, "Who is the woman you call Empress?" A young man looked at the three armed men around him and began to speak, "S-She is the Emperor's chosen wife. No one knows her true name, ad she is not much older than you. She wants to take over your country, she is greedy and wants to remain in power after the Emperor's death." **

**Jasper smiled as he looked at the man and asked the next question, "Who is the man that was with her?" Again the answer came freely, "H-h-her son, the Prince Ping. He is devoted to his mother, and does her dirty work for her." The man next to him kicked him, trying to silence his betraying comrade. Armstrong separated the two pulling the man away from him. Armstrong asked a question, "Why are your people attacking our country?" The man looked at him again and spoke, "She wants Amestris for herself, she will let the Princes fight for the throne and take command of your lands."**

**Jasper laughed at the absurdity then bent over coughing, putting his arm around his stomach. Everyone watched him as the coughing subsided, he straightened up and glared when he noticed everyone's eyes were on him. **

**Havoc looked back at the prisoner and spoke up, "Do you know anything about General Thompson?" The man nodded, "He is an inside spy, he has been promised a grand reward if he will betray his people. He knew when we would make our first attack." He watched the reactions on his four captor's faces.**

**Myrte's eyebrows arched in an angry scowl, her left eyebrow twitching. Jasper's eyes darkened as he glared with anger. Armstrong gasped as he let the information sink in, and Havoc cursed loudly. Myrte spoke aloud, "So the problem is form within, you know, he recently toned down the security around the border. We have to catch a much bigger fish than we were expecting. I need General Thompson to give us a break. I'm sure that if he thinks I am in no way able to lead these men I could get out of here.**

"**You three and Breda, Falman and Fuery will help me. We need to be straight forward about our health both physical and mental." She grinned as the others caught on to her plan. "Take the prisoners back to their cells!" She turned grabbing Jaspers arm and pulling him with her, "You know what I need right?" She asked in a whisper, Jasper nodded, "Yes. We have to get him to send us home, that the battlefield was too horrible for us." **

**He gave her a mischievous grin as he grabbed his stomach and stumbled along. She nodded and they split up, searching for the others to help them. **

**The next morning General Thompson arrived in a transport vehicle, he had a grave look on his face and a gleam in his eyes that should not be there.**

**He was here to get rid of Mustang and Elric, he knew that they were just as inquisitive and smart as their fathers. The General was on a mission.**

**Mustang and Elric came to greet the General as he climbed from the vehicle. Jasper saluted but Myrte purposely did not, Thompson frowned. Myrte played innocence as she began talking. She began talking nonsense, about topics unrelated to the Military. **

**Thompson frowned again, but inside he saw his way to get her away from the battle field. He slapped Jasper's back in good will and he fell to the ground holding his stomach and moaning. Thompson bent to help him up and asked what was wrong, "I was wounded in battle Sir!" He then lifted his shirt to reveal the long red line across his stomach. He grimaced, with a shudder, another excuse to remove another enemy from the field. **

**That morning Myrte and the others had rolled around in the dirt, staining their uniforms, something they would have never done. But right now desperate times called for extreme measures. They left trash everywhere and hid the prisoners in what looked to be a mound of dirt. The turned the large guns to face back towards HQ instead of facing the battlefield. Everything was left in chaos, they needed to be removed if they wanted to pursue the General without the military breathing down their backs. **

**Myrte and Jasper took him for a tour, Breda and Falman were cleaning the artillery, at least they were supposed to be. Instead they were immersed in a game of checkers laughing and drinking what looked to be alcoholic beverages. Fuery and Armstrong had the same drinks and were talking about girls back home instead of watching the horizon for signs of the enemy. And Havoc was lying in his tent pretending to be suffering a major hangover.**

**Thompson had them all come in to the infirmary forcing the doctor and nurse out. He sat them all down and asked what they were thinking, Mustang spoke up taking an offended tone. "Well now! I have to let them bury the pain of Battle! Can't they have some relief?" She looked at her men who all nodded including Jasper who took a bottle from Havoc and took a long swig. He coughed and then smiled back at the General.**

**Thompson blew up, "YOU HAVE ALL GONE MAD! I am sending you all back to Central without another word, one of my escorts will drive you all back right now! I am sorry but I must take command of this camp, you are all on vacation until you can prove that you are fit for battle or are discharged. Now go get your belongings and get to one of the trucks, do not stop to talk to anyone!" He walked out of the tent feigning anger, this was just what he was hoping for. A smile crept over his lips as he went to address his new subordinates. **

**Mustang was also smiling, as she quickly grabbed her already packed suitcase. They had packed before Thompson arrived, knowing they would be sent home. She met Jasper and the others at the trucks, everyone was present except for Armstrong who was setting the prisoners free. He came up, a concerned look on his face. "They are already on their way home, the young man who gave us our information said to give his thanks to you." Myrte nodded as the General walked up his face stern.**

**Another man was with him, he kept his face emotionless as he took the wheel of the nearest truck. Mustang saluted the General as they all loaded up, Myrte taking shotgun without another word. Jasper Havoc and Armstrong took the seats behind them and the others filed into the back with the luggage. The driver saluted to Thompson as he started the ignition and pulled away.**

**Thompson watched the truck for some time, he was a little uneasy, he could have sworn he heard them laughing as they drove off. He shrugged and turned to look at the east. He would surely be able to complete his duties with Mustang and Elric out of the picture.**

**Meanwhile, it was one long drive to Central, Jasper and Havoc talked about all sorts of subjects. They sat directly behind the driver and often raised their voices while they were leaning forward. The driver stopped the car and asked that they all get in the back, he needed to concentrate. Mustang and Elric jumped him, relieving him of his weapons and tying his hands together. They gagged him and sat him down in the back between Armstrong and Falman. **

**Myrte returned to the front to find Jasper behind the wheel. Havoc was sitting behind him, and the passenger seat was left open for her. She gave the new driver a questioning look and he grinned back deviously. **

**Jasper was a terrible driver, often times his turns were too sharp and he went way too fast. When Myrte yelled at him he only laughed, "If we have been sent home because we are unfit for battle then we better make an entrance!" He swerved and threw everybody to the side, this time Myrte laughed when Jasper groaned grabbing his stomach.**

**The truck careened through the quiet streets of Yuswell. They stopped at an inn filled with miners and their families. A man who introduced himself as Kyal greeted them, Jasper spoke up quickly. "Hello, we need a couple rooms for the night. I'm Jasper Elric." Kyal grabbed his hand and shook it vigorously, "Did you say Elric? Your father help mine years ago. I have this inn because of your father, we still have the contract hanging on the wall."**

**He ushered them all in smiling. When the men inside saw the uniforms they jumped up in anger, the military had been giving them problems lately. Kyal put his hands up, "This is Jasper Elric and his friends!" Everyone sat down, and the talking and laughter resumed. Mustang gave Jasper a sly look as Kyal led them to their rooms.**

**Jasper politely turned down getting a private room. He really didn't want to stay in a room alone. He joined Havoc, in the room next to Myrte's, Armstrong and Falman were across the hall and Breda and Fuery were next to them. Kyal's wife brought up dinner for them, and Myrte asked her to spare a moment before leaving. The brown haired woman who was in the first months of pregnancy sat down in the chair.**

**Myrte took a deep breath, "We are a special task force within the military sent back to Central to find and capture an inside spy. We have a soldier who had gone delirious in the back of our truck. Could we put him in a room up here so we can continue without him? You can send him on the next train to Central, here is the money for him."**

**She handed the woman a large bill, as Kyal's wife nodded. Jasper had heard the whole thing, he had transmuted a communications pipe through the wall separating their rooms. Armstrong had made sure they had contact with the other rooms.**

**Jasper went and got the driver who kicked at him, so he transmuted another rope and tied up his legs before carrying him up to an empty room. **

**The next morning they left early, saying goodbye to Kyal and his wife. Myrte pulled herself into the driver's seat as Jasper was saying farewell. He climbed in behind her next to Havoc, Armstrong taking shotgun. Kyal's wife had packed them all lunch and they had been able to get cleaned up, transmuting the dirt out of their clothes and showering.**

**In the pre-dawn light there was something about Myrte that caught Jasper off guard. He shook his head, she was the same as usual, an annoying officer who liked to remind him of his height. No one else seemed to notice it and he told himself he was imagining things. The rest of the day was spent in the car, Myrte driving without a single stop. **

**The next evening Hughes Mustang frowned as he heard the engine of a car die right outside his door. His tiny house on the outskirts of Central didn't have a driveway. He pushed aside the curtain with his hand and paled when he saw his sister coming up the steps. Behind her was Jasper Elric and several other soldiers. He rushed to the door, wondering why his sister would show up at midnight. He was glad to see her unharmed and ready to go, but he knew that the war was far from being over.**

**Just as Myrte raised her fist to knock he pulled the door open, nearly catching her fist on his head. She stopped short smiling, "Hello Hughes!" As she came inside she motioned for the others to follow. Jasper, Havoc and Armstrong came in nodding at Hughes. The other three stayed outside keeping watch. They all sat down as Myrte explained to her brother their unique situation.**

**Hughes was shocked to hear that General Thompson was the enemy, he immediately thought of his father. "Perhaps we should call Mom and Dad?" He asked his older sister. Jasper answered for Myrte, "That would do us no good! Our parents may have saved Amestris once, but that was years ago! They can't fight like they used to, sorry but we are on our own."**

**Everyone in the room agreed, Hughes included. Myrte began studying some maps of the Eastern border, hoping to find where Thompson was sneaking in to give away information. Havoc pointed out a large rocky area where it was impossible to set up a camp. There Thompson could easily slip behind enemy lines and exchange information with the Empress. **

**Hughes looked out the window every few minutes as they worked well into the night. Planning was important, they needed to get the job done without one problem. They had to wait at least two weeks though, if they were too hasty it would be ruined. **

**They stayed the night, Hughes finally getting the other three men to come in and sleep. Myrte slept in Hughes's room while he took the guest room. Everyone else was stuck down stairs on the couch and chairs. Jasper took a couple pillows from the truck and brought them into the kitchen, he set them down next to each other and put on his gloves. He clapped his hands and placed them on the pillows. They flashed a brilliant blinding blue. When the light faded one long cushiony pad lay on the ground at his feet. **

**The entire group was exhausted, they all fell asleep with out a second thought. **

**The next morning Armstrong left bright and early, he was going to visit his family for a few days. Breda left an hour later, and Falman forty-five minutes after that. Fuery left at 10:00 am walking down the street casually. Havoc took the truck at noon, off to see his girlfriend while in town. Jasper left last, he was headed for Risembool home to have his arm repaired, and get his wound healed. Myrte smiled when she and her brother were alone.**

**She relaxed un the couch, they had everything planned. Now they just had to watch and wait. It was going to be a long two weeks. They had agreed to give themselves time but it was crucial they hurried to end a war spawned by greed. Myrte wondered if this Empress was a homunculus, the word had been banned in her house but, her father had taught her the general meaning behind such an evil word. **

**Jasper hopped a train to Risembool, excited and upset. He was to get as much information on Homunculi and Xing from his father as was possible. But what was worse was that he had to rendezvous with Myrte at a restaurant. Just the two of them, having dinner talking about their visits with family. It sounded awkward, and he was not in the mood to be alone with the Colonel in a public place. He shuddered when he pictured what the other customers would think of the two. The thought of him and the Colonel being called a couple made him shudder.**

**Somehow with such horrible thoughts clouding his mind he fell asleep, the rhythm of the train's motion calming him.**

**Someone shook him awake. A large man in a military uniform was shaking his shoulder quite hard. Jasper sat up, looking at the man. The soldier motioned with his thumb, "Out of my seat shrimp!" The man didn't notice Jasper's glare as he stood up on the seat. "WHO'RE YOU CALLING A SHRIMP?!" He yelled at the top of his lungs, scaring the other passengers.**

**The soldier laughed, "The Pipsqueak has guts!" Jasper lost control, he jumped on the man clapping his gloved hands. He transmuted his arm into a hammer and smashed it down on the man's head. The soldier cursed under his breath as he slumped to the ground losing consciousness. Jasper returned his arm to normal and looked around.**

**Every passenger was staring at him in amazement. A little boy looked at him intently then hid behind his seat with a yelp as Jasper smiled at him. "He deserved it." He said quietly as he shrugged his shoulders, and sat back down.**

**The rest of the journey was uneventful, and Jasper was glad to get off. The soldier had left him alone, but the people had whispered about him for sometime. He took a good look at the station and surrounding area. The air was sweet and cool, the late autumn sun falling behind the distant mountains. Dry crackling leaves blew in the breeze, and the stationmaster welcomed him home in surprise. **

**Jasper hurried into the quiet town, greeting those he met as he made his way to his parents house. He could just see his mother smothering him, grateful for his almost safe return. She would freak out when she saw his stomach, probably nail him with a wrench. And his father would be glad to see him but probably not pay too much attention. **

**He totally forgot about his younger sister, Nina. She would ask him all sorts of questions about the warfront. His feet pattered up the steps and before he could knock on the door, barking came from inside alerting those in the house they had a visitor. He heard his father's voice from inside, "Would you shut up!" He was yelling at the dog.**

**The door opened a crack, and Nina smiled at her brother. She came out onto the porch with lightning speed, hugging her older broth affectionately. She was only two years younger then him and had her mother's eyes and hair. She had done in a ponytail with two long sections hanging around her face and short bangs that curled over her forehead.**

**His mother came when Nina didn't answer her question, and took her own turn to hug him. Jasper tried to take deep breaths, he knew they were just showing their affection for him. He couldn't take much more though, as a young man he was in no mood for hugs. As Winry released him the dog came bounding up ad jumped on him, his heavy paws hitting Jasper's stomach.**

**A gasp of pain made everyone stop, Nina pulled the dog off of him and Winry asked for an explanation. Edward had finally made it to the door welcoming his son home. Jasper regained his breath and smiled, "Its nothing! Just a little scratch." He shrugged his shoulder trying to close the subject. His mother didn't buy it, "Jasper! You tell right now what is going on!" She glared at him and Jasper was forced to be honest.**

**He told them what he could, he did not mention General Thompson's name, or that they had been kicked out of the military. What he did tell them was just enough for them to know he was on serious business, hunting down a traitor. **


	3. Chapter 3

Jasper sat down at the table, already ignoring the waiter. He adjusted the tie around his neck, he felt like it was choking him. Plain white gloves covered his hands and he was wearing a black dress suit. The Colonel had chosen a very expensive restaurant for their private meeting, in hopes of no one suspecting anything. The cream table clothe was a rich satin and an intricate lace pattern around the edge. A candelabra sat in the table's center adding feeble light to the already dark room. Sconces hung on the walls with lit candles to light the place.

The tables closest to him were empty, and few others had occupants, they had planned to have an early dinner to avoid a crowded room. The china was pristine and very delicate looking; he wondered why Myrte chose such an awful place. Silver forks and spoons lay next to the plates, _why are there three forks?_

He sighed as he sat back and opened the menu, he kept checking around, watching for anyone suspicious. Although put out by meeting in such a fancy place, he was looking forward to seeing the Colonel. A very unusual feeling for an Elric to have for a Mustang, he was scaring himself. After ten minutes he was sure everything was safe, and he saw Myrte following the waiter to his table. He stood up out of habit, nearly saluting her as the waiter pulled out her chair for her.

She was rather feminine and beautiful in her blue dress. It went to her ankles, and had no sleeves. Instead, the neckline went all the way to her neck and wrapped around it like a collar, the back was high, showing very little skin in at all. She had on long satin gloves that went to her elbows a color matching her dress. Her hair was done up in its usual style, but the barrette she used was covered in satin and a large deep blue rose blossom.

Jasper sat down, slightly stunned by her appearance. He sat there in silence feeling rather awkward. _What do I do? Should I compliment her dress, or is that too personal? _She had caught him completely off guard, sending a strange unfamiliar feeling into his heart and soul. This was just weird. Myrte looked at him waiting for him to say something; Jasper turned his eyes from her back to the menu.

"You look rather good in that suit Jasper." He looked up startled by how different she was acting, and then he remembered that they were out in public meeting for dinner. "Thanks, that color suits you." He replied quietly. She smiled as she opened up her menu, "So what did your father say?" Jasper relaxed a bit, he had been uptight from the start but her unexpected manners and beauty were throwing him off.

"His old friends are all gone, they were pretty tough though. Took more than a couple bullets to stop one of them." He paused and Myrte nodded, "Same thing from my father, but what about G.T.?" "Not much was said. It seems to be that he traveled to Xing a lot before he became a soldier."

Myrte nodded as she read the menu, she suddenly looked up at him a strange look in her eyes. It was a gentle, kind gleam that shone from deep within, it was completely uncharacteristic of the Colonel. He dropped his eyes quickly, avoiding the unfamiliar friendliness in her eyes, "I think I'll have the steak and a salad." He broke the awkward silence a shaky voice.

Myrte glanced back at her own menu and spoke, "I'll have the stew." She looked at Jasper again opening her mouth to speak, "May I take your order?" The waiter interrupted her. Jasper nodded, "I'll have the steak, medium well with the salad." "And I would like the stew." The waiter bowed and left them.

"So are you ready for this?" Myrte asked when he had gone out of earshot. Jasper grinned, "I wouldn't miss it." Somehow, he was comfortable with Myrte, even though they usually did not get along. They were feigning to be a couple, and it seemed to work pretty well. Myrte sighed heavily, "Are you sure we can do this? What if something goes wrong?" Jasper rolled his eyes, annoyance replacing the calm.

"If something goes wrong we improvise and roll with what we've got." He gave her a determined look, as he took a sip of water. Myrte laughed quietly, "You're just like your father!" Jasper laughed with her, putting his hand on his stomach and taking in a shaky breath. Myrte frowned, "How have your wounds healed?" "Well my stomach could use another week or two, but I don't have that time. And everything else is nothing more than scars." His voice had finality in it that refused to hear any questions about his health.

Myrte sat there across from him, eating her dinner quietly a slight smile curling her lips. Her dress fell around her in a very flattering way, showing off the curves of her body. Something that her military uniform was incapable of doing. Jasper was slightly surprised by her sudden feminine looks, and honestly, he almost enjoyed seeing her in a dress. He tried to focus on what he was eating, taste each spice that made up the rich flavor of his meal.

Nevertheless, he could not even taste the barest hint of flavor; his mind was too busy with what was going on between the colonel and him. She was beautiful; he did not actually realize that what he was feeling was just that. Jasper was unknowingly attracted to her for this one night, and he was not even aware of it. Of course, he figured that she would be the same person to him in her uniform. He shrugged, slightly frightened by his unfamiliar feelings. Myrte finished before him, carefully wiping her mouth with her napkin in a very feminine way. She was killing him, her unusual girlish looks and behavior were just too much he stood and excused himself for a moment. He hurried to the restroom and looked at himself in the mirror.

"What is going on?" He glared at himself, afraid to ask why he felt this way. For some reason he was getting very hot sitting there across from her, and it was actually cool in the room. Jasper loosened his tie with his left hand, hoping that dinner would soon be over and he could go home. He splashed water on his face and dried it quickly, trying to cool down before returning to the table. He sighed as he headed back out to the table.

Myrte sat at the table waiting for Jasper to return, he seemed liked he was not feeling well tonight. She hoped he was all right; she needed him to help her. She wondered why he was uptight; he looked so handsome in his suit and tie. Jasper had actually surprised her with his politeness; he had even stood when she arrived. Perhaps he was just putting on the show, maybe that was all his problem was. Whatever was going on she had no clue, she shrugged and sipped her drink. However, she herself was experiencing some irregular emotions for him, something deep inside. She chalked it off to a feeling of camaraderie.

Jasper sat back down quietly, staring at the tablecloth. He seemed disheveled and uncomfortable, Myrte stood up, and "I think we are done here Jasper. Would you walk me back to my hotel?" Jasper stood up suddenly, his back stiff. He paid the bill as she put on her long black trench coat. He joined her at the door, relieved that her coat covered her dress enough for her to regain some semblance of her normal looks.

Myrte walked next to him whispering quietly, "We leave tomorrow night, you have a room for the night already. We'll watch for G.T. to make a move and then jump on him." Jasper nodded, "Suppose he catches on, what then?" Myrte smiled, "We'll improvise I'm sure we can get everything under control."

They arrived at the hotel and she handed Jasper a key, "Room 311, your directly above me. See you on the outskirts of town tomorrow evening." She had dropped her face so that she could whisper in his ear. Her breath was warm on his skin, and the heat suddenly flared up again. He felt his cheeks get warm as she turned and entered the hotel without so much as a backward glance. Jasper cursed as a wave of sudden embarrassment pulsed through him.

A cold breeze cooled his face and he sighed, hoping that he would not feel this way during their mission.

He walked around the street for a while, trying to relax and cool off before he went in to the hotel. After about an hour, he went inside and hurried to his room, grateful he would not see the Colonel until the next evening. He was exhausted after such a taxing night and fell asleep without further complications.

The next morning a knock at the door woke him up; he blinked several times while fumbling to reach for his pocket watch. He flipped it open and sighed when he saw that it was Noon. He shrugged, last night had been tough on him, and he quickly slipped into his pants as the person behind the door knocked again. "One Minute!" Jasper called as he headed for the door, he opened to find a hotel staff member holding a brown paper package. "This was left here for you this morning." He handed the package to Jasper and left.

Jasper closed the door and checked the package for a name, but it just had his name and room number on it. He figured it was from the Colonel, probably some instructions for joining up with the rest of them. He tore it open and stuck his left hand in, and was surprised to feel stiff fabric against his fingers. He pulled the fabric out and paled when he saw the familiar blue color. He yanked the rest out completely and cursed when a military uniform with a letter pinned to it greeted him.

It was exactly his size and the epaulets bore strips of a major, instead of stars there was the state alchemist's crest imprinted on two gold buttons, one on each shoulder. So this was the uniform for state alchemists who had no other rank. Jasper tore the paper off and read Myrte's hand written letter.

_Steel Fist,_

_Here is your uniform for our next mission; yes, I ask that you wear it. Meet us at the graveyard on the outskirts of Central at sundown. In addition, do not forget to blouse your pants!_

_The Colonel_

It was short and vague, in case anyone else had read it. He set the note down and put on his gloves, clapped his hands and laid them on the sheet. The ink black words disappeared in the flash of blue light. He tossed the uniform on his bed and took a shower.

He came out with a towel wrapped around him, and cringed when his eyes fell on the uniform. He dressed in his regular clothes, deciding to wait until the last minute to put on that ridiculous uniform, he knew it would be a subject of comedy for his family. As the day stretched on at an aggravatingly slow pace, he wondered what Myrte and the others were doing. He was slightly eager to see the Colonel, a feeling he did not comprehend at all. Therefore, he just sat there in his room relaxing, and trying not to think about what was going to happen. He thought about the letter had left on his bed back home in Risembool. He knew it by heart, and he hoped that the words written in ink would not be his last to his family.

He let the letter come to mind,

_Dear Mom, Dad and Nina,_

_I fear that this may be my last letter to you all. We learned that General Thompson is working for Xing. He has betrayed us. Colonel Mustang, Lt. Colonel Havoc, Major Armstrong and I hope to stop him and this unnecessary war. I hope to see you all soon, victorious in our endeavors to save Amestris. Please do not worry about me I will be fine._

_Jasper_

He sighed, those really could be the last words left to his family. It would be a miracle if they all got out alive. He sighed and stretched his left arm; he had no need to loosen tight muscles in an artificial limb. In fact, today the place where his automail connected to his body was sore. He thought back to the day he had lost his arm letting the memory consume his mind.

It had been a grey cloudy day in Risembool, and Jasper had been out with Nina. The two had gone out into the woods alone and as a result, they got lost. Of course, Nina got scared, clinging to her older brother as he tried to find the way home. He was nine at the time, and Nina was seven, both were not supposed to go into the woods without their father.

Jasper had dragged his sister in because of a stupid dare; one of the other kids in the village had called them chickens because they did not go into the woods without a parent. Jasper had not minded the children teasing him, but the fact that they were making fun of his sister was not a good idea. He had shoved the other children out of his way, grabbed Nina's hand and stomped into the woods angrily. The kids had watched for sometime until the two had disappeared and then gone home, surprised at Jasper's bravery.

It was after this adventure that Jasper and Nina learned that they were the only two children to go into the woods alone. That had set Jasper off a second time. He and Nina had crossed a small gorge on their way in, walking along a fallen log. Jasper and Nina came back to it, and Jasper looked for the log but he could not see it. He looked over the distance, and got over confident. There was one spot where the edges of the gorge were very close; he thought he could jump it. What they did not know is that their parents had already learned about the dare, and were in the woods searching for them.

He looked at Nina and grinned, "I can jump across there and get that board for you to walk across." He pointed to the narrow spot and Nina nodded slowly. Jasper backed up several feet to get a running start; he sprinted at full speed and took off over the gorge. He was short by a foot; his hands barely reached the ledge grabbing it for dear life. However, the rocks were too weak to hold his weight and they broke free, tumbling to the bottom about ten feet below.

He fell with the rocks and debris, landing on his back at the bottom. He tried to sit up but a shock of pain climbed up his spine, Nina called down to him, "Brother! Are you alright?" Her voice was frightened, he knew he needed to comfort her, "Yeah, but I can't get up!" He forced his voice to keep from cracking, but he cried out at the end. _I have probably scared her more! I am so stupid; it's all my fault that we got lost!_

The already unstable ground let another shower of rocks rain down on him, he closed his eyes as dirt fell into his face. He then felt a devastating pain in his right arm, it hurt worse than any other injury he had acquired in his days. He slowly opened his eyes to see that a gigantic boulder had fallen and landed on his arm. He could not keep back the tears, and he could hear Nina crying above him, his voice would not work so he cried as the pain overtook him. Through the fog of tears, everything went black.

He woke up in pain on his bed. His parents and Nina were with him, and everyone sighed with relief when he tried to sit up. He fell back down when his right arm would not hold his weight; he looked over to check on it. However, there was nothing there, his right arm was gone, even the shoulder had been lost. He looked at his parents and Winry's eyes started to water so Edward explained to his son what had happened.

"That boulder that fell on your arm had already done too much damage; we were forced to amputate your arm from the shoulder down. Now I know you are still disoriented but we need you to make a decision." He paused and Jasper spoke up, "Do it! I want the automail!" He already knew what the question was going to be.

Therefore, he had spent two very painful years getting his arm replaced. But he always said it was worth it, that it had been what he deserved for dragging Nina into the woods and getting themselves lost. He was upset with himself more than anything.

Jasper shook the memory away, the dull ache where his arm once was starting to ease up. He checked his pocket watch and sighed, it was almost time for him to leave, and he glared at the uniform. He snatched it from the bed and changed.

He finished straightening the jacket and inspected himself in the mirror, and he paled. He looked ridiculous in the blue uniform, with its golden braid around his arm and the new alchemist's epaulets on his shoulders. At first he would have laughed, except that he would have been making fun of himself. He had enough dignity to take this stupid outfit seriously. The pants were bloused, and the butt-cape around his legs actually made them look longer.

Although he felt silly, he did not look very bad, except that he was shorter than most soldiers were. He realized he had acknowledged being short to himself and put his hand over his eyes, suddenly angry with himself. Well at least it would make the Colonel happy; he did not want to be a nuisance. _Wait, did I just say I am doing this for Mustang? No Way! I am doing it so I do not get in trouble. RIGHT????_

He shook his head and fixed his collar, whatever was going on with him was getting to be exasperating. He grabbed his regular clothes and stuffed them in his suitcase; he pulled his silver watch from the right hand pocket on his jacket and flipped it open. He still had an hour before he should leave, but he really did not want to stay there. As he looked at the engraved symbol on his watch, why had he chosen to become a state alchemist?

At first, he had loathed the idea of becoming the military's dog, but when he began to notice how cruel men could be, he wanted to help those who could not help themselves. As the son of Edward Elric, everyone had expected him to be a talented alchemist, but no one thought he would try to get state certification. No one believed he was serious, they all said he was just following in his father's footsteps. But in honesty, Jasper knew what his father's original motives had been.

Jasper did not have that need; he had not committed a great taboo that cost something precious. So why had he gone to Central to take the alchemy exams? Simple, he wanted to help people, to protect them. He wanted to save those who suffered from their neighbor's sins and mistakes. His sister had been punished for his stupidity the day he lost his right arm; she had been scared out of her wits. The poor girl had spent two hours at the edge of the gorge crying, hoping that her brother was all right. He had made her cry, something he was not proud of, even when she hugged him without pause he still felt like he did not deserve her love.

In making a very stupid mistake, he had realized that others paid for their neighbor's mistakes, people died at the hands of those who were selfish. That life rested on a delicate balance, and everyone made choices that had devastating repercussions. Knowing that his actions could have such adverse effects he had gone to Central to help those who did not deserve to suffer for their fellow man's decisions.

In addition, it had been his drive and ambition that had pulled him through, of course he had his father's flare with transmutation, but he was also head strong and bold. So he had made it through just barely, but he did not feel like he was helping people right now. Yes, he was following Mustang into battle to stop this idiotic war; the problem was whether they could pull it off.

On the outskirts of Central it was quiet; Myrte sat on the crisp grass and stared out toward the darkening sky. They would be heading into the East for a dangerous mission, could they accomplish such a task? _Of course we can! I know we can stop him and this war. That's why I became a state alchemist!_ She thought about the day that she had passed the alchemy exams in Central. She had been a young woman who was determined to prove her strength and skill. Her father had objected vehemently but it had been her choice, she wanted to help the needy.

As a child, she had studied alchemy with every fiber of her being, learning all she could from it. Her mother had taught her more feminine things she needed to know and how to use a gun. Myrte had been eager to learn to shoot with deadly accuracy. Therefore, she had grown up in a house where survival and doing what was right came first. She and Hughes had loved listening to their parent's adventures when they had been soldiers. Hughes and she had gotten into numerous debates about Homunculi and the philosophers stone.

Of course, Hughes had never liked the idea of fighting, but he did not like injustice all the same. Myrte had always found herself fighting for her brother's sake. He seemed to get into unusual predicaments, which came from being a 'soft-hearted' Mustang. However, when she came to his rescue, no one wanted to fight with her. Although she was abrasive most of the time her heart was very big, she just kept it closed to strangers.

Here she was in a graveyard waiting for her men to arrive to stop their ultimate enemy. She had a suspicion that they were entering into something much bigger than a war for conquest.

Elric had been in an unusual mood the night before and she wondered what had been eating him. Surely, he was not surprised by her appearance. She smiled; maybe he was just nervous about the mission. There was no doubt she was nervous, this was not going to be an easy job.

A thought crept into her head; this was not the first time she was

Rushing into a battle without knowing all the details had been foolish. She had been eight and a fox had stolen the rabbit she had just shot down. Angry she tracked the animal to its lair. A small cave was just barely large enough for her to fit in. With her shotgun in hand she crawled into the hole taking out a piece of paper with a transmutation circle painted on it.

The darkness suddenly faded as a small fire burst from the circle. Two adult foxes were in the far corner growling at her, the rabbit was lying in front of her; she reached for her prize slowly. The larger fox lunged forward, she fired her gun as she slammed her eyelids shut, a sorrowful whimper made her look. The smaller fox lay dead and the other stood next to it licking the muzzle. It turned back to Myrte, its black eyes flashing. This time she lifted the gun and pulled the trigger.

She had returned home with two foxes and a rabbit; both parents had been surprised until she told them how she had come across her prizes. That night she had received judgment from her father for her stupidity, but he had not ignored her. Instead he explained to her a strategy for smoking the foxes out of their home.

Armstrong cleared his throat to announce his arrival, Myrte blinked and nodded to him. He joined her in the dead grass silently. Fuery and Breda showed up next, Havoc not far behind them. Fallman came just as the last rays of light hid behind the western horizon. Jasper showed up with a perturbed look on his face, Myrte smiled when she saw him coming up the path in his uniform.

_He looks good in it; I think it suits him rather well._ She stood as he saluted her, his eyes glaring at her calm face. She laughed, "What? Did we make the uniform too short?" She taunted him good-naturedly. Jasper did not laugh, he turned away from her and sighed, "This stupid uniform is ridiculous!" His voice was harsh and she curbed her laughter, "Alright time to get serious! Let's get out of here!"

They loaded into the truck without another word, and Armstrong took the wheel. They sped out of Central and into the dark night, prepared for the most important battle of their lives.

Back in Risembool, the Elric family had just now noticed Jasper's letter. Winry had found it while cleaning up his room; she had rushed down the stairs to Edward tears beginning to stream down her face. Without warning, she had collapsed into his arms, crushing the paper in her fist. "Winry, what's wrong?" Her husband asked kindly, confused by her behavior.

"It's Jasper! He came here to see us one last time; he is going to fight General Thompson. He has been working for Xing as a spy." He carefully took the letter from her hand and read it for himself. "I don't see why he won't return. The other soldiers he will be with are strong; they should be able to stop Thompson. Don't worry Dear." He hugged her in return as she regained composure, Edward had never been a very romantic person but he always knew when he needed to be sensitive to Winry.

She stood on her own feet and looked into his golden eyes, "I suppose you're right." She gave him a smile, "He reminds me of someone else I know." He pretended to think, "Now who could you be talking about?" He smiled back at her, "He is an Elric." "Yes I know, and he's his father's son." Nina sat at the top of the stairs smiling; she could see the warm embrace her parents were sharing. Few moments like this ever happened; they were few and very special. Jasper had already told his sister everything before he left, she had faith that her big brother could make it out all right.

Roy Mustang sat reading the evening paper, as Riza served him his drink. "So Thompson turned out to be a traitor, doesn't surprise me." He said quietly without taking his eyes off the story he was reading. Riza sat next to him, bringing her own drink to her lips, "Yes, I knew that we wouldn't have too long before unrest started up again." She sighed, remembering the days she herself had been a soldier in the Ishbalan civil war.

Roy seemed to know what she was thinking, "I don't think their fight will be anything like what we went through." He sipped his drink casually as if they were talking over old news instead of their daughter heading into danger. "She knows who she is; nothing can stop her once she starts. Unfortunately she is just as stubborn as the two of us." Riza said with a half smile on her lips, Roy looked up into her brown eyes he saw the twinge of fear flash and then disappear. He glanced at the few inches between their bodies and scooted closer until they were touching.

He set down his paper, "We can't go help her, if she had wanted our help she would have asked for it. Nothing we can do but wait." He caressed her cheek with his hand, glancing at circular scar he himself had carved into his hand to save Lt. Havoc and himself so many years before. Riza knew what he was thinking and put her hand over his, "She won't be like I was that night. You made sure she wouldn't end up doing that." Her smile melted away the fear that had floated to the surface of his heart. They sat in silence together. The two knew each other better than they knew themselves.

_Myrte could not help but wonder about Jasper, he was unusually quiet and his eyebrows arched in serious thought._ He sat there behind her looking out the window just thinking. The past two days he had been very strange, was he afraid of their mission? On the other hand, it could be something more serious. She shrugged her shoulders, who knew what his problem was?

Right now, she needed to focus on the task they could not fail. All of Amestris was unknowingly counting on this small group of brave soldiers. Being in a car with six men for two straight days had really begun to take its toll on her though. She was tired of sitting and her muscles were sore, her back ached from sitting up for so long.

Armstrong noticed the silence and spoke up, trying to get something from his comrades. "We are just a few hours away from the border, Colonel do you have any special orders before we arrive at our destination?" His eyes flitted to look at her. "Stop here. We should stretch our legs before we go any further." The car came to a stop and everyone climbed out stretching his or her legs and arms.

Jasper raised his left arm over his head; stretching it, he then stretched his legs not really acknowledging the others. Myrte saw an opportunity to get under his skin, "So were asking permission to stretch?" She mimicked his pose with one arm up. He glared at her, "If I were so lame that I needed your permission to move a muscle then I wouldn't be here." He turned away and walked off, turning his neck from side to side.

"Something is bothering Elric." Havoc said to Myrte as he came to stand at her side. "You know, he seems a little put off by something, has anyone done something to annoy him?" He asked as he watched Jasper continue away from them. "I think he may just need some time to himself. The Elric's are known for how closed off they can be, even with friends and family."

She bent over to stretch her back, aware of every tight muscle as she reached out and touched the toes of her boots. Her hair was left down and it now fell around her face obscuring her view. She straightened up snapping her head back to force her hair out of her eyes. She pulled her barrette fro her pocket and deftly put her hair up. She glanced around, Jasper was returning, he had probably gone to relieve himself.

After eating lunch, they returned to the car, Jasper seemed to be a little better. He had made some snide remark about his uniform while they were eating. Myrte took the wheel from the Major who looked like he needed a break. Jasper sat in behind him next to Havoc, who tried to start a conversation.

"Hey Jasper, how was your family?" Jasper looked at him, "They were all just fine, I got yelled at for returning home with my injuries still trying to heal." Myrte coughed, _that is the most he has said since we left Central. Maybe he just needed some time to prepare himself._ Havoc was relieved to hear his voice and kept the conversation up, "That's nice, my girl back home couldn't believe I was back. She nearly passed out when I came back." Jasper grinned evilly, "That's cause she was afraid you'd find out about her affair." His eyes darkened as he chuckled when Havoc's face fell, "That is not true! She wanted to spend as much time as was possible before I had to leave again!" The rest of the ride was rather uneventful, with Jasper and Havoc talking behind her the Colonel was able to relax, so he had needed some time. All humans had some line that took some effort to cross. She wondered what had been his problem though he had been so solemn. Almost as if, he was in conflict with himself. Maybe it was just self-doubt. But whatever it had been, she was just glad to have him back to normal.


	4. Chapter 4

Jasper sighed as he gazed up into the starry sky above him, for some reason the stars always helped him relax. Something had happened earlier that day, when he had looked at the Colonel that strange feeling from the dinner had returned. Was he going insane? Or was he actually realizing some serious feeling for Myrte Mustang? There was no way he was going crazy, and he knew enough about himself to recognize his emotions of love.

_Gahh! Did I just let that word slip into my thoughts? That is not the answer! I am just…just…In love with the Colonel. That can't be right, but then why did I just get a warm feeling when I thought about her? I have the same feelings for her that I have for my sister, is it just a brotherly love for her? Maybe that is the truth._

Deep in thought he was unaware of Myrte standing above him, she was staring at him lying there on the rocks looking at the stars. She sat down next to him; unfortunately neither one was getting some sleep. "You ok?" She asked in a quiet whisper. He jumped at the sound of her voice and turned to her, his eyes wide as he took in a shaky breath. She smiled apologetically, "I see that both of us can't sleep. Are you worried about something?" She seemed genuinely curious about his problem.

He looked back at the stars, maybe if he worded it right he could at least confide a part of it to her. "Well, I happen to be having some very peculiar feelings for a girl I know. And honestly I have no clue what to do." He kept his eyes on the stars; he did not want to look at her his eyes would probably tell her who the girl was. He watched her face out of the corner of his eye.

She turned her face to the sky as well, "Unusual." She paused to move a stray piece of hair from her eyes. "I didn't think you'd actually tell me what was wrong. But since you did I can offer very little advice. I happen to have little experience in affairs of the heart." She glanced at him and quickly snapped her head back to the sky her heart racing. He had been looking at her with a strange look in his golden eyes. Something in them seemed to be sending her a message. When their eyes had met, it seemed as though he was silently telling her that she was the girl he had just mentioned.

Something gave deep inside and she stood unable to finish what she had begun to say. Jasper was looking away as well his cheeks obviously red in the pale moon light. Somehow, she felt the same way, for some inexplicable reason she too felt embarrassed by this private meeting. He suddenly began to laugh; hysterical laughter rang through the night. She hurriedly looked towards those asleep; afraid they would wake up and find the two together in the dark.

She lunged for him, knocking him to the ground with her own body. She sat atop him both hands forcing his mouth shut; he began struggling trying to pull her hands from his face. She slowly removed them, "Do you want to wake the others up?" She hissed at him, her anger replacing all other feelings. His eyes reflected her anger as she let him sit up.

He glared at her as he wiped his mouth with his left hand. Jasper suddenly realized why she had jumped on him, if he had woken up the entire group what would they have thought? Just the two of them alone in the dark, both of them would have been too embarrassed to look at each other for the rest of the mission. "I'm sorry, it's just that something snapped inside me when our eyes met."

Myrte nearly gasped aloud, so he had had the same reaction? She couldn't handle this, something was happening between the two of them and both were afraid. That much was certain, but if they didn't get past it there was no way that, they could work together in the next days.

After several very long minutes of awkward silence she spoke, her voice hard and authoritative. Her back was straight, shoulders stiff and she was acting as though their conversation had never taken place. "It's rather late and I'm tired. See you in the morning." She turned on her heals and walked into the darkness. Jasper didn't even have a chance to reply; he climbed back up to his rock, and lay there looking back up at the stars.

He was confused and yet grateful, if she kept herself guarded around him he could focus on the mission. Lately Myrte had been very nice and friendly towards him, especially at their dinner rendezvous. He closed his eyes and tried to get some sleep. Hoping that the morning would be too momentous for him to have extra thinking space for what had been going on with the two of them.

Somehow, Myrte felt like a huge weight was resting on her shoulders. She had taken two seconds to return their relationship to that of an officer and subordinate. Ever since he had slapped her, they had been able to treat each other more like friends than a Colonel and her subordinate alchemist who had a bad temper. She still felt bad about it, but they needed to keep themselves focused on the mission. Nothing good would come out of them talking about personal matters with each other late at night under the stars.

She would just have to deal with this weight until after their job was done, maybe then they could view each other as friends. She closed her eyes, this was just too much nothing had ever made her think and this hard, not to mention she was dealing with unwelcome emotions.

Jason Havoc had heard the entire conversation; he had also been awake looking at the stars for help. _Jasper is in love? And it sounds like the Colonel is having the same feelings. But why did she do that to him, he was revealing his heart and she couldn't reveal hers. Jasper Elric is in love with Myrte Mustang… Oh no! What will their parents say? Hmmm…_ He himself had some experience with love but he had never met a woman that he could reveal his heart to.

"Poor Jasper," He whispered to himself. When a guy actually reveals his feelings to the woman, he expects something less harsh. He just hoped that this wouldn't have any negative repercussions. All they needed was for the two alchemists to be in conflict right now. He drifted to sleep worrying about his friends; he just wanted everything to go well.

Jasper felt like crud, his back was sore and he felt like he had slept on his stomach all night. He slowly opened his eyes in the brilliant light, blinking until they adjusted. He was the last to wake up everyone else was busy. Fuery was cooking breakfast and the scent had carried to him, his stomach growled as he sat up and stretched. He didn't bother to stretch his right arm, he wasn't in the mood to care whether he looked silly or not.

Myrte was busy in the truck and he decided to stay away from her, she had reacted just as he had expected. Unfortunately, he had not been ready for the crushed feeling that had come over him when she had reverted to being the Colonel. Ah well, nothing could be done about that. He would just have to deal.

Myrte was angry with herself; she had been very mean to Jasper and had no clue on how to apologize to him. What could she do to prove that he did matter to her? They just needed to get to Thompson and take him out. But she couldn't stifle the feeling of dread that was gripping her heart now. She hurried to pack up the truck and get it ready to go; she needed Jasper to look at it first though. His mother was an engineer and she had seen him repair his own arm.

Armstrong relayed the message to Jasper, and he stomped to the truck glaring at it. He hated working on vehicles, his engineering background mixed with his alchemical talent made it easy at least. He popped open the hood and looked inside. He could see that the water was low and he checked the oil. He cursed, they probably wouldn't have oil and this thing was in need of more. He didn't see any other problems and so he put on his gloves and clapped his hands, placing them on the ground. The familiar blue glow lit up his face and he smiled when black liquid came up from the dirt. It was oil, he was lucky that there was a supply below them. He quickly transmuted a glass bottle from the sand and collected the oil he had already refined in it. He refilled the oil and water, and then slammed the hood shut.

He turned around to find Myrte watching him; her gaze was soft and slightly apologetic. Her dark eyes were sad, she was completely vulnerable at the moment and Jasper knew it. Before he could stop himself he was returning her gaze, and then their eyes met. He didn't turn away like he had the night before, instead he hoped she would hold his eyes longer but she performed a hasty about-face.

With her back to him she caught Havoc's arm and began talking to him, obviously she was avoiding Jasper. Jason looked over her shoulder to Jasper and gave him an apologetic look. _Havoc knows! Great this is what I didn't want._ Jasper hurried to put the water jug back in the rear of the truck. He acted as though he hadn't seen the Lt. Colonel's look. They finished taking down the camp in silence, everyone aware of Myrte and Jasper's situation.

General Thompson stood before the young blond haired girl his hand holding a gun pointed at her head. She was 19 years old and a very talented state alchemist, her brown eyes were full of anger and defiance. She had no intentions of cooperating with the man. Her hands were tied to a bar above her head apart from each other. Her right arm was automail, along with both her legs. She sat there as he swung her pocket watch around in the air, she didn't care if he broke it.

This strange palace in the middle of the desert had been her prison for several weeks, here she had been beaten and then offered a choice to save her life. The walls were grey and no windows provided any sunlight anywhere. The Empress lived here with her son, who happened to be a human based homunculus.

He cocked the gun and said the same thing he had said for the past two weeks, "You will create a philosophers stone!" His voice was a growl and he stepped closer putting the barrel of the gun against her temple. She had already suffered a black-eye and a couple cracked ribs, but she really didn't want to die. The Empress and her son weren't with Thompson this time. _Maybe I can escape this time._

She nodded her head slowly, her short spiky hair and bangs barely shaking as her head bobbed up and down. Thompson grinned as he untied her left arm, keeping the gun on her head he untied her other arm and led her out the door and down the hall. The came to a halt in a large room filled with dirty slaves. Two guards slammed the doors shut behind them, and she nearly laughed. Every alchemist could make their own exit if the need came about. The slaves were arranged on a large transmutation circle tied in groups of three on key positions. So this was how you made a philosophers stone. She was in no way going to create one but she now had enough info to press charges against Thompson.

With her hands free and a gun at her head she had to find an escape. She looked at the circle and decided to ask just one question, "How do I create the stone?" She really didn't know much about this legendary tool.

Thompson laughed aloud, "Simple! Extract the energy from the sacrifices and force it into a compressed form!" He was in no mood for her to take her time. She nodded hoping to fool him enough to get just a few moments of time to plan an escape. She stood there her eyes closed thinking about what she had to do, there was no way she would kill these innocent people.

"What's wrong Jessica? You agreed to do this now hurry up and create the stone; these people are of no importance to you!" She looked at him; she already knew what to do. "Just shut up Thompson! I know what I need to do!" She stepped up to the circle and clapped her bare hands placing them just short of the circle's outside line. Thompson watched as the ground began to glow blue around the circle, the slaves began screaming and struggling.

The blue arcs of energy disappeared in the ground and she stood up, the slaves were still alive and no mythical stone was anywhere in sight. Thompson pointed the gun back at her and screamed in frustration, "WHAT DID YOU DO!" He began to charge her but the lights suddenly went dead. Jessica laughed as Thompson cried out as he tripped in the darkness.

"Let's see you find me now!" She yelled into the inky blackness as she used the energy she had extracted from the lights to create a glowing orb to give her sight. Thompson saw the faint glow and tried to shoot her, but the bullets smashed into an invisible wall crashing harmlessly to the ground.

With his gun impotent Thompson pulled out a knife, and Jessica couldn't help but feel the surge of adrenaline and excitement as she prepared for battle. She clapped her hands and waved them in front of her, the energy she had stolen to make a shield returned to a few of the lights. She then quickly transmuted her own knife made purely of energy.

It glowed blue in the dim room as she took a battle stance. Her brown eyes gleamed expectantly as he made an attack, his knife slamming into hers with extreme force. The knife in her hand suddenly exploded throwing both backwards. Jessica remained standing, using alchemy to make her knife explode and send Thompson reeling. She clapped her hands and transmuted the fingers of her right arm into sharp steel claws.

This time she attacked, barely waiting for him to regain his footing. Jessica swung her automail arm and caught the General's left arm; she smiled as he gasped in pain. She clapped her hands and transmuted what little energy was left and sent it into her opponent. He tumbled to the ground as pure energy slammed into him; he struggled to get up as she approached him. The girl was about to finish him off when a voice made her pause.

She knew it was impossible but still she stopped to turn her head towards the familiar voice of a little girl calling out for her sister. "Sissy! Please help me!" Jessica took a step forward fighting with herself._ She is dead, that is not Elaine! I know it's true, people who die can not return the world of the living. She is gone forever!_ But her moments of indecision had cost her valuable time. "Come out here Envy! I know you're not Elaine so quite fooling with me!" She clapped her hands and collected what little energy was left, forming it into a ball she could throw.

But in the dim light she didn't see the beautiful woman come up behind her carrying a stone in her hands. Jessica felt an impact against her skull; she sank to the ground trying to fight the blackness that was closing in upon her mind. As she hit the floor with a thud everything went black, her last thought was that she had failed to escape and they would kill her.

A young man came out from the shadows to the woman and smiled, "Well done Mother. She is rather problematic can't we find someone else? This is one human who hasn't learned her place yet." His voice was thickly accented and smooth. The woman laughed, "Yes I know, but she has seen the portal of truth, we need her to help us create a sibling for you."

Her dark hair hung around her pale face in thick curls; her black eyes were harsh and free of any innocence. The silk dress she wore dragged on the floor as she walked out of the room. Her son followed behind after shaking his head at Thompson, "You just can't do anything right."

Jasper stood staring at the palace in the distance; they had driven past Cselkcess and were still in the desert. The building stood alone among the sand dunes, dark and foreboding. No windows could be seen from their position but they were all confused and surprised by the finding of such an abnormality. Havoc swore when he had seen the immense size of such a lonely castle. Myrte had been the first to mention that it would be the perfect place for a spy to meet with the enemy. It was past Cselkcess but not far enough into Xing that anyone would get suspicious.

They hid in the hills above the palace, camped out ready to storm the enemy and save Amestris. Jasper turned away from their target and stomped back to the truck, in all reality the truck had broken down and that's when they had found the castle standing alone in the desert.

He stuck his head close to the engine; hopefully he could find the problem and fix it while the others made camp. Although he still had uneasy feelings for the Colonel he had banished his heart deep within himself so he could take on the enemy without fail. His father had made it clear that sometimes following your heart wasn't the best idea.

After several long hours tinkering with the engine he got it to start back up. Myrte actually thanked him herself, saluting him as she returned to her own work. With the camp set up she was busy studying the enemy's fortress. Jasper thought the binoculars only made her look like a dork but she had insisted on checking it out herself.

He heard her curse as she examined the building and he sighed, she was just like her father. Unfortunately she cared about her men too much and she would probably try to go in alone. But Jasper and Havoc had talked about setting up a watch for the night while he had been working on the truck. No one was to let Myrte leave the camp alone after sundown, no matter what the circumstances were.

That night Havoc and Jasper stayed awake, using hand signals to communicate in the moonlight. Havoc heard the Colonel get up and stuck his fist up into the air. Jasper jumped up and both men moved in on their leader. But she had heard their conversation earlier and knew that taking Thompson on alone would insure that the others survived. She snapped her gloved hands and sent the two flying.

Jasper landed on his back, furious he clapped his hands which were also gloved and sent her a gift of his own. He didn't want to fight her but this was for her own good, sadly Myrte felt the same way about them. Luckily Myrte had been able to slip a sleeping medication in the other's dinner, but Jasper and Havoc were too alert to let something like that get past them.

Myrte flew into the air as the ground below her pushed her upward. Havoc came and grabbed her arms hoping that Jasper could knock her out. Myrte wasn't going to let them stop her; she elbowed her subordinate just as Jasper came from above swinging his right arm toward her head. She dodged his attack and knocked his feet out from under him. But he had clapped and was already transmuting a cage around her.

Havoc caught is breath and stuck his hands in between the bars of the cage and ripped the gloves from her hands. He smiled as Jasper finished the cage and stood next to him. Myrte fumed as her men returned her glare with smug grins. She had lost to the two of them and they weren't about to let her go in alone. But she had an extra pair of gloves and she slipped her hands into her pockets maneuvering her fingers into the other gloves.

She pulled her hands out snapping her fingers as they gawked in surprise. The two took to the air once more as the cage was blown to bits by her anger. Without a second thought she took a long piece of bar that had survived her attack and forcefully swung it into both their heads. She smiles as both men went unconscious. She was going in alone no matter what they thought.

Jessica groaned as the throbbing pain in her head brought her back from the blackness. She lifted herself up from the stone floor slowly her left arm shaky as she tried to sit up. Her vision was blurry at first but it slowly sharpened to reveal she was alone in a small dim room. She coughed as she stood up and walked to the sealed door. She waited a few minutes before clapping her hands and slamming them against the wall.

Nothing happened as she focused on destroying the door. No flash of blue light, no change in the wall. She panicked then and there. _What is going on? How come I can't transmute this has never happened to me before! No! I can't lose to them and I refuse to create a stone by killing innocent people!_

She slumped to the floor suddenly filled with doubt and fear, how could this be happening to her? She was a smart girl who had always fought her whole life through. Elaine and she had lost their parents when rebels had attacked the train they were on. The two had lived alone on the streets of central without any one to help them. She had met an alchemist who let them stay in her house and taught her alchemy.

But both her teacher and her sister took ill from a deadly disease that had sprung up. The doctor had done what he could but neither her sister nor her teacher who had become a second mother to the girls survived. Alone and once again on the streets she had to find a living. She found a job with a traveling circus performing alchemy as a show.

As an alchemist who could manipulate energy her talent had astounded many. When she had raised enough money she used it to buy the ingredients for a human body. She knew it was against the law but her sister's life had been stolen and she wanted to give her a second chance. Mainly it had been selfish desire to have a family member again.

That night she had gone into the forest near the village they were performing at and performed the one transmutation that changed her life. It had been just fine until the portal had taken her to its gate and let her have a look. Her legs and right arm had been taken for the toll and she had been left with a cruel disfigured pile of lifeless flesh that bore very little resemblance to her sister.

A blond haired man had found her the next morning; he was collecting firewood when he found her. Though he lived in a small town he knew exactly what she had tried to do and took her back to his wife. As he bandaged her wounds with his jacket he asked her why she had committed such a sin. She had been in too much pain to answer and he had continued to reprimand her, his eyes held a certain sorrow as though he knew her pain.

"Human transmutation can not be done it will not work. Trying to bring back the dead only causes in pain. No one can come back from the gate if they have no ties to life. But what can I say I tried the same thing when I was young."

He had carried her to his house and his wife had tended to her wounds, their son was older than her and their daughter just a few months older than her. Jessica had been treated like a member of the family and Winry provided her with amazing automail.

Nina helped her mother take care of their patient and taught her how to cook. Jasper and her took alchemy lessons from Edward, Jessica had become a third child in their family. Edward usually referred to her as a stray cat they were housing. She was always given respect and she had found a big brother in Jasper, she only spent 5 years with them.

When she hit her 14th birthday she bid her surrogate family goodbye and headed off into the world. At first she had sent them letters until she had gone for State Certification. She wanted to help people like her first teacher and the Elric family had helped her. How she missed that family, missed having Edward teaching alchemy lessons to the both of them while Nina cooked dinner.

Many people came in to get their automail repaired and Jasper had to help when they were overrun with patients. He was talented with alchemy but he could repair automail in no time, by mixing his knowledge of engineering with the speed and precision of transmuting. The fact that his right arm was automail didn't seem to bother him although he never told her how he had needed a prosthetic arm. Before she had left the Elric house Nina had told her the story.

Jessica shook the flashbacks from her head she was so frustrated and disoriented that she wasn't focusing right. There was no way that she had lost the ability to use alchemy. She clapped again and pushed her hands on the opposite wall willing it to change into a weaker substance. Her first teacher had taught her how to manipulate energy but she had been given a broader education on alchemy at the Elric house.

Again nothing happened. Obviously they had found a way to disable her ability to transmute. She would just have to wait for her captors to come for her. Maybe they never would, perhaps her punishment would be to die here in this cell alone. The single light bulb above her head was getting weak, the light dimming. She would soon be enveloped in darkness.

Jasper awoke with a headache; the last thing he remembered was fighting Myrte with Havoc. Unfortunately she had outsmarted both of them, resulting in a very painful bump on his head. He looked around and saw Havoc mirroring his own pose. Both men held their hands on their heads grimacing at the pain. Jasper cursed, this was not how things were supposed to go. Havoc laughed, "I hate this! We try to do something for her own good and we end up getting attacked by her. And what's worse she went into that ridiculous fortress alone!" He cursed loudly.

Jasper and him surveyed the collateral damage to the area from their midnight battle. Small desert bushes were still ablaze and the ground was scorched where he the cage had caught Myrte if only for a moment. The ground was partially transmuted in other areas, unnatural formations jutting up from the ground. Jasper dusted himself off angry with himself for letting her get away. They had to save her, there was no way she could stop the enemy by herself.

The others were all awake and full of questions. Armstrong came up to the two of them and asked what had happened they dutifully told them what had transpired the night before. After eating breakfast and arming themselves to the teeth they approached the dark foreboding castle. Hopefully she was still alive, she was such an idiot.

Myrte Mustang stood before the homunculus trying to catch her breath. She faced her enemy and lifted her right hand snapping her fingers in quick succession. But Envy was too fast and came closing in on her his foot striking her side before she had a chance to block the attack. She landed hard, the wind knocked out of her and a sharp pain inn her ribs.

Envy leaned over her, and she glared at his handsome face, his dark hair and grey eyes made him look human but he hadn't died in the five times she had blown him up. He looked at her with a smug grin, "You humans just don't get it! You think you can stop us? Once we get our little prisoner to create a philosophers stone we'll be even more powerful.

A feminine voice interrupted what Envy was about to say, "Come now Envy get it over with! What have I told you about wasting time by telling our enemies our plans before you finish them off?" A beautiful woman with dark curly hair stepped out of the shadows, and grinned evilly at Myrte. "So you are the famous Flaming Soul Alchemist? Ha! No match for my son I see." _Huh?_

"Wait he's your son?!" She gasped as she sat up. Her dark eyes were wide as she compared the two and saw the resemblances in the eyes and nose, Envy was the Empress's son. Envy laughed, "You've ever seen a human based homunculus before have you? I was born 25 years ago to the woman before you. When I was fifteen years old she got hold of a philosophers stone and with my permission placed it into my bloodstream."

He paused to turn so she could see his entire body, "And this is the result a super human who is nearly immortal." His grin was full of cruelty and hate. Myrte backed away instinctively as he got close to her, "Now you have to die. I can't let you go telling my secret to the whole world now can I?" His eyes were full of bloodlust as he brought his fist into her stomach.

"But it needs to be punishing for such a meddling rat like yourself." He sang as she coughed up blood pain coursing through her veins like adrenaline. She snapped her fingers catching Envy's legs in fire, he cried out as she burned forced the fire to burn his body. After a few moments she killed the flames the pain almost too much for her to focus on fighting.

She watched as Envy's burned body regenerated where he stood the flesh renewing itself instantly. He glared at her angrily as he stalked forward, his booted foot colliding with her body. She began to lose her grip on conscious thought, her body going into shock from the accumulating injuries. She slumped to the ground as she fought to stay awake and alive.

Jasper and Havoc walked down the long hallway listening for signs of the enemy or Myrte. The door on one of the rooms they were passing had an intricate transmutation circle on it. Jasper stopped and looked at it. Havoc stood guard as his comrade tried to decipher its meaning. As he was staring down the hall Jasper's sudden gasp startled him. "This is a circle that cancels any transmutation within the room! Only an alchemist would be locked in a room like this." Jasper transmuted his arm into a sword and scratched the circle off of the door.

He then used alchemy to destroy the lock and opened the door; he waited for his eyes to adjust to the dark room. He thought it was empty until a familiar voice reached his ears. "Go away I know you're just toying with me!" Jasper was confused, "Jessica?" He asked into the dark room. Someone slammed into him, hugging him tightly. He took several steps back to steady himself and recognized the short young woman who was looking at him with tears of joy in her eyes.

"Oh Jasper it really is you, I was beginning to think I was gonna die in there!" She wiped her eyes and Jasper's eyes fell on the pocket watch around her neck. "You became a state alchemist? Why are you her? Have you seen a woman with black hair wearing a uniform like mine?" He glanced at his blue uniform with disdain.

"I'm here because they want me to create a philosophers stone for them. The Empress's son is a human based Homunculus and they want to create more. I haven't seen any other prisoners." She was busy repairing the tears on her blue leather trench coat as Jasper listened to her. "Myrte came in here to try and stop them but she came alone!" He cursed again.

Jasper took Jessica's hand and the three headed down the hall, Havoc introducing himself as they continued on. "I'm Lt. Colonel Jason Havoc. How do you know Jasper?" "His mother and father saved my life after I tried to bring my sister back from the dead. I studied alchemy with him for several years." She grinned back when Havoc lifted his eyebrows questioningly.

As they headed down the hall sounds of battle greeted their ears. _Fwoom! 'HAHAHA!'_ "That's Envy!" A gasp of pain interrupted Jessica. "That's Myrte!!!" Jasper and Havoc both exclaimed in unison. They dashed towards the door at the end of the hall and knocked it down.

The three paused as they took in the scene. Myrte lay on the ground a gash in her side bleeding and her right sleeve missing. Her left eye was swollen shut and she held her ribs as she looked to the door. Jasper didn't think he let his heart do the acting, he rushed to her and began to pick her up but Envy's foot caught his back and he fell down winded.

Havoc shot the homunculus repeatedly buying Jasper and Myrte time. Jasper jumped back to his feet and dragged Myrte to the door, Havoc ripping off his jacket and shirt, tearing his white shirt into a bandage. Myrte looked at them and cursed, "Why did you come for me?" Jasper answered first, "Because I love you!" Everyone stared at him in silence; Jessica turned back to the enemy and transmuted the ground into a barrier.

Myrte smiled at Jasper and then frowned, "Get out there and save our country!" He nodded and Jessica destroyed the wall, and he stood facing Envy. Jessica looked at the Colonel and clapped her hands and placed them against the wall. She then brought her glowing hands around the Colonel, Havoc backed away as she turned the energy into a shield around Myrte. "This should keep her safe for now."

Havoc nodded as he reloaded his guns and went to back Jasper up, Jessica followed him silently. Envy turned to face the three of them and smiled, "Well now I thought that I would only have to take care of the Colonel, but I guess I'll get to have a little more fun. Ah I see you found our little prisoner, it's too bad that I'll be killing her as well. You could have been such an ally." He stepped forward as Jasper transmuted his arm into a sword ready for battle.

Jasper charged his enemy and struck his target's arm, Envy cursed. "You really don't get it!" The playful shine left his eyes and he turned on Jasper catching his chest with a round kick that sent him flying. He hit the wall across the room with a discouraging thud, and slid down to the floor in a motionless heap.


	5. Chapter 5

Myrte screamed Jasper's name as he lay still, unmoving across the room, she struggled to stand but she was in too much pain. She fell back with a heavy sigh and Envy laughed wickedly, "This is why you humans are so much fun to control! You put emotion into everything, love, war, hate. Your uncontrollable emotions make you perfect pawns!" His eyes gleamed with bloodlust as he turned to Havoc and Jessica. Havoc had just put back on his jacket and pulled out two handguns from his pockets, he rapidly filled Envy with lead.

Envy frowned as the energy from the philosophers stone crackled around the bullet holes, healing them in seconds. His pause gave Jessica a chance to rush to the other side of the room, she did not go for Jasper she knew that catching Envy in a cross fire would be their best defense since they were down by two. Besides that, her mother had been an immigrant from Xing who had the talent to feel the presence of life. Jessica had gained this ability as well and Jasper's body still pulsed with strong energy. She clapped her hands and waved them in front of her collecting energy from the air around her, she transmuted into raw energy that she threw at the homunculus just as Havoc's guns clicked harmlessly.

Instead of reloading his guns, he just pulled another one from his pants pocket and took aim watching the energy tear through Envy's body causing it to burst apart in a bloody mess that immediately regenerated. Jessica transmuted a long sword of energy from the air and pointed it at her enemy; every muscle in her body was tense with anger and hatred, adrenaline rushing through her veins like a hyperactive poison. She was unable to back down or give up; she had to finish this here and now.

She rushed forward lightning fast and struck true, slicing Envy's arm off at the shoulder she whirled and struck again, stabbing him through the back and releasing her weapon which imploded as soon as her fingertips lost contact with her sword hilt. Envy cursed as Jessica jumped out of Havoc's barrage of bullets, keeping the homunculus in place and unable to attack. Myrte watched helplessly as the alchemist who seemed to know Jasper and Havoc fought to save their comrades, her own emotions torn between anger and a feeling of utmost compassion for Jasper.

Envy finally was able to move and caught Jessica's feet out from under her, she fell on her back barely blocking Envy's punch with her right arm. He jumped up and went for Havoc who was reloading his guns as quickly as he could but Jessica drover her right arm into his side, a long sharp blade protruding from where his appendix would be. He coughed up blood as the energy crackled around the wound as she pulled it out slowly.

Jessica quickly retreated several steps as Havoc prepared to shoot again but Envy was lost in a blur of movement, and then Havoc shot back several feet and was left winded as Jessica was sent reeling backwards as well. Envy laughed, "Poor silly humans you can't even stop me!" Jessica coughed as she rose to her feet slowly trying not to feel the pain in her stomach. She winced as she clapped her hands and transmuted a sword from the floor, the dim light reflected from the smooth blade as she took on a battle stance ready for her enemy to strike again.

She had been right to prepare for a second attack and she just thrust the blade into his stomach as his foot just missed her head. She twisted it in deeper and smiled as he let out a cry of pain, she forced it to cut through his side and it came free covered in dark red blood. She dodged his anger driven swing and rolled to the other side of him giving herself some space. Havoc was just recovering and readying to fire his handguns again, a fierce gleam in his determined eyes.

She did not doubt that her eyes matched his; Envy was not going to take Jasper from her! And obviously, Havoc did not want to lose his friend or his commanding officer, they were united by one universal cause to save them all and save their country. She had gotten sick by the overwhelming amount of energy that Envy had within him, it had taken a minute for her to register his abnormal amount of souls within his single body.

Envy changed tactics and transformed to look like her younger sister Elaine, but he was not going to fool her this time she plunged forward swinging her sword to strike his heart. "Big Sister! Why are you attacking me? Don't you love me?!" Envy yelled in Elaine's voice, tinged with fear and pain. Jessica paused for just a millisecond and Envy kicked her, sending her backwards. He laughed still using her sister's voice. A chill went through her spine just before she crashed into the wall, everything beginning to go dark.

Havoc cursed as he shot viciously, halting Envy's next attack. He then picked up Jessica's dropped sword and spun around slicing into the homunculus's body like a hot knife in butter. He grinned at Envy's surprised face as he was cut in two, and the energy pulling the two halves back together. Havoc shook with disgust as he watched his enemy pull himself back together in just seconds. He heard Jessica's gasp as she came to, and smiled slightly he did not want to fight Envy alone.

As Jessica opened her eyes she thought she saw Jasper standing above her, she shook her head and stopped in pain and Jasper grinned at her. He was wincing as he bent down and whispered something into her ears. It took her confused mind a few seconds to realize what he'd said but she grinned as she recognized the long unused word to use a special attack, she nodded to him and lay flat on her back her legs facing Envy and Havoc who were engaged in fight. Havoc was taking just as many hits as he was dishing out to the monster he was locked in combat with.

Jessica pulled her knees to her chest the soles of her feet facing the ceiling, Jasper jumped on top of her feet and stood facing the enemy. His old friend pushed up and forward with all her might sending him straight for Envy. His automail arm leading the way he grinned as Havoc jumped out of his way in surprise. Envy felt the impact as his chest was impaled by Jasper's arm, and he screamed in pain and anger.

Jessica smiled,_ we have not used that move since the last time we fought his father in training._ She stopped the reminiscing though and readied to help bring down the monster they were battling. Jasper jumped up as Envy swung at him angrily; this battle was not going how it should have. Jessica gasped as she felt how low Envy's life force was, she had not been focused on it and she could tell they were close to destroying this awful excuse for a human.

Havoc rushed into him and was caught in the head by Envy's foot; he went down with a thud. He groaned but lay still, Jasper looked to Jessica and they both threw themselves at Envy in unison striking true from the front and the back. He screamed as more energy was used up to repair the damage to his flesh. Jessica clapped and began collecting an extreme amount of energy. The air began to snap as the static electricity was also absorbed, she was going to do something very dangerous.

She had not used this technique since her state exams and then she had nearly killed the alchemists who were judging her work. She had ended up blowing a huge hole in the building's wall that she had been forced to repair. This was how she had gotten her title; The Lightning Alchemist. She was going to use a highly concentrated beam of energy to try to finish off the homunculus. Jasper knew what she was doing; his father had helped her perfect the attack during their training.

He grabbed Havoc and dragged him behind Myrte and her shield while Envy watched curiously, as Jessica absorbed the energy into her right arm. This was the hard part, she had to be able to control the energy and release it properly or it would destroy her entire body with the amount of pressure she had created. If she were lucky, her automail would take on little damage.

Her steel arm began to shake with the pressure ready to explode on her, she pointed her open palm at Envy and released the energy slowly, and a beam of crackling blue light shot from her hand and watched it collide with him. A huge explosion followed, sending everyone backwards to land on his or her backs. Bright light filled the room and faded back in seconds revealing Envy's barely human looking form on the floor, no energy from the stone crackled to heal his wounds.

Jasper and Havoc pumped their fists as they saw that he was defeated, Jessica coughed from the far corner of the room and they went to her. She had done a good job but her automail had been destroyed by the pressure, it was just a few bits of metal and wire sticking out from the nerve connection. She held the place where her shoulder once was in pain, the nerves left unattached to anything.

"What did you do to him?" Havoc asked quietly as the stench of burned flesh caught in his nose. Jessica took a sharp breath before answering, "I used a highly concentrated beam of energy to destroy him." Havoc nodded as the adrenaline began to leave his veins and his muscles relaxed. He could feel several broken ribs and he could feel the concussion making its presence known.

Jessica would need new automail and her right side was bleeding heavily, her attack having a counter-attack that had caught her. Jasper's left arm was broken and he was feeling pretty light headed, hopefully Myrte was all right. All three went to the shield, which broke apart when Jessica placed her left hand on it. Myrte was unconscious but breathing regularly, she had missed the battle's ending.

Jessica sighed as Havoc began to bandage her side carefully with Jasper's shirt; he had offered it up when she fell against the wall from the loss of blood. She was relaxing and trying to keep her broken ribs from hurting so much when she felt something that made her gasp out loud and nearly jump, starling Havoc's gentle hands and causing her to wince.

"What's wrong? Did I push too hard?" Havoc asked gently as he continued to bandage her side. "Envy's not dead! I just felt the stone's energy return." Jasper jumped up as blue energy crackled around Envy's body and he stood up his eyes burning with anger.

"You haven't won just yet! I'm not that easy to kill!" He dodged Jasper's rush and transformed to look like Nina Elric. Jasper paused for a split second and Envy made his right arm into a sword and slashed fiercely. Jasper fell to his knees but kept an eye on the homunculus, as Envy was about to deliver a finishing blow he jumped up his right arm's sword plunging into Envy's chest.

This time Envy fell whispering angrily, "No, I can't be dieing. I can not fail my mother! You will pay for this you fools!" With that Envy's body dissipated like dust in the wind the philosopher's stone falling to the ground and shattering into tiny fragments and splinters that disappeared as well.

Jasper held his side and felt the warm blood trickle down from the gash and staggered back to his friends, he looked into everyone's eyes. Myrte was still unresponsive but she was alive, that was what mattered to Jasper. He really didn't remember what happened before the fight, he had been too consumed with defeating Envy. Jessica was on the brink of passing out, her eyelids half over her eyes. Havoc finished tying the bandage around Jessica and leaned back against the wall.

Unfortunately they were far from finished, General Thompson and the Empress had to be dealt with. Just then Major Armstrong and the others came down the hall with two prisoners in chains. They had captured both Thompson and the Empress, but they too had accumulated battle wounds. Armstrong was bruised and missing his shirt, Fuery was missing his glasses and his left eye was swollen shut. Fallman had a bandage around stomach and his left arm was in a makeshift splint. Breda had minor gashes and a bruise on his forehead.

Jasper grinned as they regrouped and Armstrong asked about Jessica, "Who is this? A prisoner?" She nodded, "Yes Major Armstrong, I am the Lightning Alchemist Jessica Dand." Armstrong smiled at her and picked up the Colonel, "Let's get out of here." They all hurried out of the building the prisoners silently following orders.

As they began to load up into the truck the Empress asked where Envy was, Jasper answered in a harsh voice, "I killed him." The woman began to cry as she realized his words were true. "But my Envy was not supposed to die." Her whisper turned to a sob as she fell to pieces.

Armstrong drove speeding back towards their home, four of them were critically injured and they had captured two prisoners. Jessica told her part of the story as best she could, her pain and the bumpy ride making it hard for her to concentrate. Myrte woke up the next morning and listened to the entire story with a smile on her face; despite her own failure they had successfully stopped their enemies.

Jasper eventually passed out late that evening he would need to see a doctor soon. Havoc wasn't bad he lasted the longest and Armstrong sighed to himself, the only sound was the engine overexerting itself as he sped onward.

Jasper woke up in a hospital bed his side in pain and an IV stuck in his left hand. His head ached and he was confused, his vision was blurry and he had no recollection of why he was there. He just sat there staring at the ceiling in silence trying to recall what had happened. He suddenly remembered what had happened and the battle came back to him, and he remembered what he had said to Myrte before he had gone to fight Envy.

Jasper gulped; _did I really tell her I love her? But more importantly is it true?_ He sighed as the door opened and a nurse came in and was shocked when he said hello. "Oh Mr. Elric I see you have finally woken up, you really worrying us there." She smiled at him as she checked his IV and asked how he was feeling. She asked about his injuries, leaving no stone unturned. When she left he was able to think about what he did. Across the hall someone else was stuck in thought as well.

Myrte Mustang sat in her bed pondering the last words her subordinate had spoken to her. Could he have been speaking the truth? She wasn't sure but he had seemed very sincere. She shrugged, why else would he have said that to her? Her wounds were healing slowly and she had not seen Jasper Havoc or Jessica since they were admitted here to the hospital in East City. Armstrong had brought them all the way in just three days, it was rumored the truck blew up as it pulled up to the hospital.

The prisoners had been taken by authorities for questioning, and having the Empress as a hostage had leant them a cease fire. When the news of their scheme came to light the war would end as suddenly as it started. That was good news, but Jasper was still heavy on her mind; he had yet to wake up.

Jessica lay on her back as Winry Elric prepared to reconnect her new arm to the nerves. She winced as the connection was made and a pain shot through her shoulder. Winry smiled as she put her tools away, "You really got yourselves into some trouble huh?" Jessica nodded as she rotated her new arm, "We really did get ourselves into one heck of a fight. Nothing like that time back in Rush Valley, when those other kids with the automail challenged Jasper and I to a two on two fights."

She grinned at the memory just as the nurse opened her door and looked at Winry, "Mrs. Elric your son is awake!" She left her things and went with the nurse without another word and Jessica sighed, "Jasper is awake finally." She whispered to herself.

Jason Havoc was up walking around; he was finally relieved of the babying for his concussion. As the soldier with the least injuries he was almost ready to leave, but he was not at all happy. His girlfriend had come to see him but it was just to say goodbye, she had met some rich heir to a family fortune who bought her everything she wanted. With such a slap in the face he had been pretty lonely. None of them were allowed to see each other until their wounds were well healed.

Of course the battle with Envy was heavy in his mind; they had succeeded but only just barely. What would the military think? After Roy had politely refused a position as President the government had set up a just man who had no intentions of fighting with his neighbors. The order to go to war had been made after much deliberation. State Alchemists were more for use as scholars and protectors, tools who were better suited for helping in times of disaster.

A knock at his door brought him back to the moment, "Mr. Havoc, you have a guest." The nurse called timidly and Havoc couldn't help but smile, "Send them in." He was happy to get a visitor. Jessica came in, a button down shirt over her hospital outfit; she had a new automail arm and was smiling. "I just couldn't take the loneliness anymore! I just got my arm repaired and heard the Jasper is awake. I also heard your girlfriend left you the other day."

She watched his face fall, "I'm sorry, but I wanted to thank you for bandaging me up back there." She smiled at him kindly and he grinned back, she wasn't like any other girl he had met. Usually his efforts to be the best were never enough, someone was always better at it.

She sat down on his bed and sighed, "So what do you think the President will do about our battle with Envy? He won't believe in a monster and he'll make us come up with a cover." Havoc nodded his agreement, "At least we didn't lose anyone." He was still slightly down and confused by her familiar attitude, she was acting like they were friends. _Perhaps she wants that, at least she has a heart._

Winry couldn't refrain from hugging her son; she crushed him against her chest like any mother would and then pushed him away to look him square in the eyes. "Jasper Elric what were you thinking!?" Her face was stern as he looked away, "Just trying to do my job." He answered quietly, why was she here? If it had been his father things would be better but then she had come to fix Jessica's arm.

The nurse cleared her throat as she came in to check on him, "Please, the military wants no questions asked until they are officially interviewed by the Fuhrer." Winry nodded and shrugged, so she would have to wait for the story. Jasper waved as she was forced out of the room by his nurse, she was an older stuffy woman. She looked back at Jasper and rolled her eyes, "Mothers of soldiers are always the worst!" Jasper stiffened, "Hey! Why don't you just do your job?" He glared at her, even though he wanted to wince as the pain flared up from sitting up so suddenly. She looked down and just did her work silently, speaking only when it was required.

Havoc frowned as Jessica was forced to return to her room, she was not even close to being recovered and the nurse was glaring at how pale her cheeks were. "I'm sorry but I can't sand being alone any longer." The nurse shook her head scolding her as she led her back to her room. He sighed as the door closed leaving him alone once again.

Jessica glared at the floor as she felt the exhaustion catch up with her, of course she wasn't going to let the nurse know she needed to rest, "Why did you have to come and send me back to bed? I'm so bored alone in that room! I can't even get a book to read with the way you watch me." The nurse chuckled, "Now deary, please just give your body some time to heal." Jessica just sighed as she climbed back into the bed, and forced her eyes to stay open, if she let herself sleep the nurse would win. Unfortunately she drifted to sleep seconds after the nurse left her room, her body overtaxed and trying to heal.


	6. Chapter 6

**Myrte and the rest of her subordinates were all together in a military escort to the Fuhrer along with Jasper's friend Jessica and everyone was silent. They could not let the soldiers escorting them hear a word of what had happened, that's why they had been separated at the hospital. They could not afford to talk loosely of such a serious matter. Of course Jessica and Jason had both snuck out of their rooms to visit the others occasionally. This was the first time Jasper and Myrte had seen each other since the battle. The train ride was rather uncomfortable and Jasper wanted to know if Myrte remembered what he had said to her.**

**He knew it was true and that he had meant it, but did she know what he felt about her? The best way to find out was to go ahead and say something nonchalant. "Colonel, what happened when we came to save you?" He rubbed the back of his neck nervously and she knew he was fishing for something in particular. "You said a word few men ever say without being prompted." She was being coy about it and he knew what she was talking about.**

**However, one of the soldiers had turned to watch them and Jasper closed his mouth before he could say what he needed to. In addition, the rest of the train ride was in complete silence. He ran over exactly what he would say to her about a thousand times. Revising it until he was sure, he could say what he felt. **

**Meanwhile Jessica and Havoc silently played poker, trying to keep from thinking about meeting the Fuhrer. She was winning by a long shot and he had given up on getting back the money he had already lost, some of the escort was getting into the game and even bet on the two. At least it made some of them more comfortable. Armstrong sat quietly staring out the window at the passing landscape. The others were also quiet no one was comfortable on this train, and they all knew that something was up.**

**The next morning they arrived at Central station and Myrte reflected that it wasn't so long ago that she had stood here with Hughes going off to war, now she was returning after ending the fight. They were escorted to several waiting cars and separated into groups. Myrte was stuck with Armstrong, Falman and Jessica. Jasper was with Breda, Fuery and Havoc, split up into two very distinct groups. The silent drive drove Jasper insane, he didn't always like to talk but he was unable to handle complete silence.**

**At Central HQ, they were brought to the Fuhrer's private meeting room, where everyone had an assigned seat and tea. They took there seats as the Fuhrer's aid said he would be right with them. They all sat down and waited quietly, Jasper was across from Myrte both were next to the Fuhrer, and Havoc was next to him facing Jessica. Armstrong sat next to her and Fuery was on his other side. Breda and Falman across from them, a door at the back of the room opened and the Fuhrer stepped out. He was a middle-aged man with dark hair and green eyes. He was rather handsome and he smiled at them kindly. "I take it your injuries are well healed?" Myrte nodded, everyone's scars were still sensitive to touch and Falman's arm was still broken and in a cast.**

**The Fuhrer sat down, and Myrte spoke. "Fuhrer allow me to give the full report. And let them rest." He shook his head "Nonsense, and please call me by my first name, Vincent." Myrte nodded and continued, "We have quite a long story for you." He nodded this time, "Yes but I want to hear from miss Dand first."**

**Jessica took a deep breath, "It started several months ago, when the war started I was kidnapped by Thompson. He wanted me to make a philosopher's stone. I spent two months of imprisonment alone and the Homunculus working for them mentally tortured me." She paused, remembering how Envy had used the faces of her family to try to manipulate her.**

**The Fuhrer held up his hand, "Homunculus? You mean a man created with a philosopher's stone, correct?" Everyone at the table nodded solemnly. "Yes he had the ability to transform his body to look like anyone, and he made himself to look my deceased family members. He tried to use them to get me to do what they wanted." The Fuehrer's face turned into a frown of concern, "What happened to him?" "We ended up killing the disgusting sad excuse for a human." Jasper answered the question.**

**From then Myrte and Jasper told most of the story, omitting the part where the Colonel went in to depression. They answered all questions as best they could but they got the feeling that someone else was listening in. **

**Somewhere near dinnertime, the Fuhrer excused them and they were escorted to a hotel for the night, where they all got separate rooms and much needed rest. The past few days being spent on a train were horrible; they got little sleep and took shifts even without communicating to each other. **

**Myrte woke early the next morning to the sound of footsteps outside her door. She crawled behind the bed and waited as the door slowly opened and Myrte jumped up aiming her gun at the intruder. A young woman screamed and dropped the tray of breakfast she was bringing to the Colonel. Myrte apologized as she helped pick up the mess, but as she wiped up the hot cereal, a faint rancid smell caught in her nostrils. **

**It some deadly chemical, she glared at the girl who pulled a knife from her shirt but Mustang was faster and the girl was cradling her hand trying to stop the bleeding from the bullet hole in her palm. She slipped on her gloves in lightning speed and burned down the doors to her comrade's rooms. Other young women and men were caught off guard as they too tried to poison the entire group.**

**Small battles ensued as her subordinates awoke to find a new enemy approaching, Jessica destroyed the gun pointed at her with an energy sword and kicked her attacker into the hall. Jasper transmuted his arm into a sword and cut a gash into his enemy's side. Armstrong and Havoc came from their rooms on edge. The group fled out the back using a transmuted staircase to get down the two stories. **

**The early morning sun was just peeking over the buildings of Central and they dashed through the alleys creating doors where there were none. They stopped outside of Central out of breath and angry, Jasper punched a broken wall with his automail arm.**

"**Did the Fuhrer send those men to kill us?" Fuery asked angrily. "No." Jasper answered quietly, "Those were General Thompson's men, I saw them when we were first deployed." Myrte nodded, "Then we need to get out of Central for a while. Jasper it looks like we will be going to visit your family!" **

**Edward Elric stared at the group standing outside his front door, all were dressed in civilian's clothing and he recognized each face that looked at him in a silent plea. He sighed and stepped aside to let them all in, grabbing his son's arm and pulling him aside to talk privately. "What now?" Jasper sighed exactly as his father had just done, "We were attacked by assassins who work for Thompson."**

**He turned to look at the room filled with his comrades, "Alright, but this better not be for too long." Edward turned to say hello to Jessica and Jasper fell onto the couch with a sigh. Myrte was across from him and she smiled as Winry offered her something to drink. **

**Jasper got up and walked out of the house to get some fresh air, this was not what he wanted. What would happen when the heroes of the Eastern War went missing? He kicked stones idly as he tried to relax but he couldn't help but feel as though his presence put his family in danger. Someone came up behind him and he spun to look right into the eyes of his sister.**

**She hugged her brother tightly and tugged on his left arm until he came with her. She was silent knowing her brother didn't want to talk about anything recent. She stopped at the edge of the forest and plopped down on a stone, "I thought you could use some time away from the other soldiers." He nodded absently, they were right at the path that they had taken to go into the woods on that fateful day years ago. **

**He had never understood why Nina enjoyed visiting the woods, even when his father had told him not to run from his past he still had not come back to this place since. Jasper was uncomfortable here but he didn't want to disappoint his sister. She jumped up and grabbed his arm again plunging into the woods excitedly, forcing him to run right behind her. **

**They stopped at the canyon where Nina pulled up a small box from the earth, it was wrapped in fancy paper and tied with a red ribbon. He slowly opened it up and pulled out a small round picture about the size of his pocket watch. It was of his family taken just before he left for the war, and he was smiling for once. A note in the box read 'happy birthday'. **

**He pulled out his watch and placed the picture in it, using alchemy to attach it permanently. Nina smiled, "There now you can take us with you everywhere." He smiled and she hugged him again, acting before he could. They walked home again just as the sun was setting to the west, setting the sky and clouds on fire.**

**Winry was waiting for them to serve dinner, it was quite a feast with the entire group. At the end Winry brought out a large cake in celebration of Jasper's twenty-second birthday, it was his favorite and they all enjoyed it. Then Edward slipped something into his left hand while passing to collect dirty dishes, Jessica and Myrte had offered to help but Winry and Edward were alright.**

**Jasper stuck his hand in his pocket, obviously his father's gift was meant to be private. Havoc and Myrte were his only comrades who had stayed into the night. The rest had gone to the tiny inn Risembool had to offer tourists, not wanting to infringe on the families celebration. **

**Jasper had forgotten about his birthday and was rather annoyed that they had arrived on the very day, giving an excuse for his parents to make it a big thing. Myrte stood to leave, "Happy Birthday Jasper!" She left without another word and Havoc followed waving a goodbye to everyone, but his eyes were on Jessica.**

**Nina and Jessica went up the stairs to bed while Winry and Edward argued over who was going to wash and who was going to dry the dishes. Jasper pulled the object from his pocket and opened the small package. Inside was nothing just some words of wisdom written on the back of the paper. He read it silently instantly committing it to his memory. He stood and climbed the stairs to his room, grateful for his family a little more than normal. **

**The night was hard for Jasper, he couldn't sleep no matter how relaxed he felt. His heart was restless, he wanted to talk to Myrte but they had not had the chance to do so privately. When he did get to sleep, his dreams were troubling but when he woke up to sunlight he was confused because he was uneasy about his dreams but he couldn't remember what they were about.**

**He showered and came down to find his parents talking alone he stopped and listened quietly. "But Edward! He was attacked by the enemy when he should have been safe!" He heard his father sigh, "Winry, you can't baby him! I hate to say it but he is just like me, he won't ask for help and he will fight alone if that's what it takes." "I know, but what about these traitors? How can I rest when my son is still in danger? Now Jessica is in the mess. What about her?" **

"**She will remain a member of this family. I won't let them go without some advice and a good lesson they both need to learn." "Alright, I'll trust you. I always have." Jasper waited a few minutes and then entered the room unemotional.**

"**Good morning Jasper." Winry smiled at her son, she served some coffee. He thanked her and took a long sip, waiting for someone to say something he didn't want to start some inevitable conversation. His mother was better suited for starting private conversations that made everyone uncomfortable. **

**Edward was silent he knew it would come soon enough as it was, but of course his wife was unable to wait another moment. "Jasper, I noticed something yesterday. I want to know why you wee avoiding Myrte last night." Jasper choked on his coffee and wiped his mouth keeping his eyes on the dark liquid in his mug.**

"**No reason." He answered quietly not even blinking. Winry decided to push for the truth, she had to know what he was hiding. Edward rolled his eyes as she prodded her son, "Come on Jasper, I know you are hiding something." Jasper gave his mother a dark look and stood up, he left quietly out the front door and down the steps. **

**Edward shook his head at Winry, "You push too hard, now why don't you go and fix breakfast, I think Jasper needs some time." Winry sighed and went to the kitchen, while Edward went to their room. **

**Jasper let the wind blow through his hair freely, his mother had gone too far with her questions. Why did people feel they had to know everything about him, including his family? He had to figure out what was happening with him, why did he say that to Mustang? Obviously he was being honest, if it was true then how did he ask her about those three little words that were so dangerous.**

**He walked up to the graveyard and stopped in front of his grandmother's grave, Trisha Elric had died while his father and uncle were still too young to live alone. In addition, she had lived several years without the one she loved, he had deserted his family in an attempt to protect them from his past. He moved on up the road to the burnt remains of his father's childhood home. The swing was still on the tree limb but the wood had rotted and the ropes were ready to snap. **

**He didn't know what to do next, his mother would probably know what to say. That was his answer, if he talked to his mother in private and got some advice then perhaps he could handle making a leap of faith. He decided to go home and get breakfast, his stomach was growling hungrily.**

**He hurried down the road and ran into Jessica who being chased by several masked men. She helped him up and pulled him after her, the men hot on her tail as she ran away from the town. "What are you doing? Who are they?" **

"**Traitors looking to kill us, there are more but the others are leading them from town, I had to get you and make sure your family doesn't get caught up in this." Jasper understood why they needed to get out of Risembool, innocent people would get involved with military business. **

**The two stopped at the forest and they turned and took battles stances, "What do you want from us?" Jasper was done with games and secrets. "We have come to avenge General Thompson." The four men suddenly charged the two, Jasper was already clapping his gloved hands and he dropped to the ground dodging an attack and forcing the ground to buck under their feet.**

**Jessica struck fast and furious with an energy sword, drawing first blood without a second's hesitation. She was caught off guard by another enemy and hit the ground hard. Jasper sliced through the man's gun with his arm and kicked him to the ground. Jessica was back on her feet and the two stood back to back, guarding each other. **

**They finished off the enemies in less than five minutes, dragging the unconscious men into the forest to unmask them. None of them had faces they recognized so they left them in the forest and hurried to find the others, who had run towards the other end of Risembool. **

**Jasper and Jessica caught up with them as Armstrong finished off the last man, Myrte acknowledged their presence with a nod and they silently headed for the train tracks, they had to get aboard a train and get back to Central and find out how many men knew of Thompson's traitorous plans. They were not the only ones in danger, and this was more serious than any of them had suspected.**

**The morning train was on time and they used alchemy to create a break in the track, when the train stopped Jasper came walking up and offered to fix the problem while the others silently climbed aboard the luggage car. As the train pulled away, Jasper hopped on and sat with the others waiting for the train to stop at the next town. **

**Jasper had lost his interest in pursuing his heart for the moment, self-preservation was taking precedence over everything else. The train stopped that afternoon and they jumped off before it came to a halt. They split up, Myrte, Jasper and Havoc went to the military command in the town to arrange a return to Central.**

**Unfortunately, the Colonel sitting at his desk was too stuck up to deal with dirty alchemists dressed in civilian's clothes who kept a watchful eye out the window. He dismissed them with a wave of his hand and Jasper lost his cool, "You have to be kidding me! Look at this!" He threw his pocket watch at the pompous man and groaned as he was knocked off his chair as the watch hit him square between the eyes.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Jasper put his hand to his face and sighed heavily, this was the famous Elric temper that he was usually able to keep under control. The man groaned on the floor and one of his subordinates helped him up, Colonel Mustang laughed at the round red mark on the man's forehead. "Well, I guess you are a state alchemist. Only an Elric would have a dangerous temper like that, I should have recognized your face and height." He smirked to himself as Jasper took a hasty step forward and Havoc grabbed his left arm and yanked him back. "Pompous old windbag."**

**Myrte rolled her eyes, "I think it would be best to discuss matters that are more important instead of fighting." The man nodded, "Yes of course allow me to introduce myself, I'm Colonel Wilhelm York." Myrte answered with her own title, "I'm The Flaming Soul Alchemist Colonel Myrte Mustang." York paled at this, "M-Mustang?" He was suddenly very respectful, "Please this way, I believe this belongs to your subordinate." He handed her Jasper's pocket watch and led the way to a private room.**

**Myrte handed Jasper his watch and their fingers touched for a split second. Both were looking at each other but they looked away and pulled their hands back. Jasper put it back in his red jacket's pocket and sat down at the table. York offered tea and they talked about the mysterious assassins who were chasing them around the country. **

**York arranged a train ride to Central for all of them and phoned the military police in Risembool to check on the Elric's house. They waited for the report and the man on the phone sounded scared when he greeted York, "Sir, this is Pendleton reporting on the Elric family Mr. Elric yelled at me when I had no news on his son." Jasper laughed aloud, "That would be like him." York apologized to the young man and personally escorted them to the train station.**

**Onboard they discussed their options in whispered conversation, at least two of them had their eyes on the other passengers. No where was safe for them. So they decided to go and investigate independently. **

**Meanwhile Colonel York made a call to Central and asked for the Lt. Fuhrer, "Sir, Mustang and Elric are headed your way again. I did not have the proper place or time to dispose of them myself. Please forgive my lack of preparation they are on the train arriving at midnight tomorrow." There was a pause, "Yes sir I will make sure to, no sir I have not filed a report and they did not use their own names. It was them you can rest assured." Another pause and the man closed his eyes as he stiffened and spoke in a monotone, "Yes sir I will." **

**The phone went dead and York pulled on his coat and left the building without another word. He then shot himself and ran into the hospital covered in his own blood, he had shot himself in the heart. The nurse at the desk hurried to him and caught him as he fell, "Colonel what happened? Who did this to you?" York coughed blood on her white uniform and choked out two names, "Mustang, Elric shot…" He fell silent as his heart stopped beating and the only sound the nurse heard was the steady drip of his blood falling to the ground in a pool.**

**News spread fast that Myrte and Jasper were dangerous, the morning news had their names in bold black letters, questioning why they would kill such a kind caring man. The nurse was quoted saying that he had been her childhood crush and had never done anything that deserved such a horrible death. The story also said his wife had fallen to the ground in tears screaming in agony, unable to answer a single question.**

**When the train stopped at East City the next day someone boarded the train with a brand new paper. Jasper caught the headlines and stopped the man, he offered 520 cenz for it and showed the front page to Myrte his eyes dark with anger.**

**Myrte and him read the paper together silently the others watching as the two seemed to lose their cool. Myrte cursed loud enough to make a mother and her child stare at her disdainfully. She shrugged and told her men what it said, they all reacted like Jasper had snatching the story to read it for themselves.**

**Someone noticed them and both Myrte and Jasper glared at the passenger who looked out the window. No one spoke until they got to Central and split up, Myrte and Jasper went to HQ and asked to see the Fuhrer. The secretary at the desk recognized them and called for Mps who attempted to apprehend the pair. **

**They barely escaped and hurried to Hughes's house where the others waited for their return. Once there the two changed their disguises and stole Hughes's two best hats. Then they left without a word and raced through the busy streets of Central, the clouds over the city were grey and depressing. Jasper loved to feel the rain on his face but right now the rain was not going to help.**

**They hurried to the Armstrong house where Olivia Armstrong still owned the estate with a strict hand. There the two were received abruptly and Olivia looked them over critically. She listened to the story with an emotionless face and harsh eyes. **

**Myrte looked at her with an equally critical look and waited patiently. Olivia spoke after some minutes of thought. " I believe you. Obviously you were far gone at the time of his death. You two have been framed. I can do what I can but I'm not going to clear your names. Just because I trust you doesn't mean I can help." **_**Now I know why Dad avoids her, and why does she glare at me like that?**_** Myrte was a little uneasy in her presence.**

**Olivia stood and left the table, Myrte and Jasper followed her working to keep up with her pace. "So you believe us but you won't get involved?" Mustang took on a stern tone and walked next to the General, this was a dangerous move but Myrte was in a bold mood.**

**Olivia nodded silently, "I can not put myself on the line, how will helping you benefit me?" Jasper and Myrte looked at each other and then spoke in unison, "What about your nephew? He isn't like his father." Olivia looked at them, "He's still Alex's son so I am unmoved by him." She stopped at a door at the end of the hall, "Please leave I have other business so get out of my house."**

**She slammed the door behind her and the two left quickly not wanting to get in trouble. "She is a heartless woman." Jasper commented as they hurried through the rainy streets of town. "Well she is famous for being heartless." Myrte replied coldly, "You should always care about those you work with." She said offhandedly. However Jasper was rushing up to a man in a suit with dirty blond hair and golden eyes. **

**She caught up with him as the man was about to walk across the street but Jasper called out, "Hey Uncle Alphonse!" The man turned and grinned at Jasper. "Hello Jasper, I was just thinking about you." Alphonse pointed to the front story on his newspaper. And Jasper sighed heavily, Alphonse glanced up at Myrte and smiled.**

"**You must be Myrte?" He shook her hand warmly and held it for a few seconds longer than normal. Myrte was going to say something but she remembered he had once been an empty suit of armor. She realized he probably remembered not being able to feel the warmth of someone's skin every time he touched someone.**

**He turned to his nephew, "So is Ed in town too?" "No he's at home with my mom and Nina." "How is Winry, she hasn't written in a while." "Good taking care of customers as usual." "Winry's always helping someone. So what about this murder, you didn't kill him did you?" "Of**

**course not, we were on a train when he died, and we can prove it." Myrte listened to them talk, maybe he could help them.**

"**So how are your parents Myrte?" Alphonse asked politely. Myrte was caught in the middle of a thought, "Oh, they are just fine, in fact they are celebrating their anniversary in a few days." Alphonse grinned at this, " I'm glad they are well. It has been a long time since I've seen them."**

**The three walked back to Hughes's house where Alphonse was greeted warmly and they talked about the trouble they were in. **

**That night Hughes returned home to find another guest in his house and he sighed loudly, "Why me?" He muttered to his plate of waiting dinner as he sat down alone at the table.**

**Myrte came to sit beside him, "I'm sorry Hughes, its just that we need somewhere to stay for a night or two. In fact they'll probably come to investigate you. Since you're my brother you are number one on their search list, and that's why we're here, I want them to catch just a few of us because I want answers." Her brother gave her the look he had given her since childhood, it was one of those 'you're crazy!' looks. **

**She grinned back, "It's the only option to protect our families." She left with those words hanging in the air, to Hughes she had asked for his trust and that everything would turn out ok. But he really didn't believe that, somehow something would be lost, he just hoped it wasn't going to be his sister.**

**Alphonse proved good at strategy, and was full of insight and ideas. Obviously he had learned well from his earlier years, of course he wanted to know about their adventures. Myrte wondered how he was Edward's brother, this man was nothing like him. Alphonse was kinder and had a smile that was permanent, she found it amazing to believe he had fought homunculi once.**

**Sometime after midnight a neighbor's dog began barking wildly, and it woke them all up. Hughes peeked out the window and paled, Myrte sent everyone but Jasper and herself into the cellar and Jessica sealed them in. Jasper and Myrte took a relaxed pose sitting at the table playing poker, Hughes had gone with the rest to hide, his sister wasn't about to ruin his reputation. **

**Several minutes of silence passed and Jasper won the first game, they focused on the cards to keep from looking expectant. Myrte glared at him as she dealt another round of cards, her opponent grinning remorselessly. The door suddenly exploded open and men in black outfits rushed into the room and pointed guns at their heads. **

**Myrte smiled politely, "Can we help you?" A man in a military uniform stepped in and walked up to the two who were still playing their game while watching their enemies. Myrte nearly choked when she saw that it was the Lt. Fuhrer who ordered them to lower their guns. "Colonel Myrte Mustang, The Flaming Soul Alchemist I was hoping we'd get to talk." He glanced at their game and sighed dismissively.**

"**You two are just as predictable as your parents were, I knew you'd want us to find you. Now where are the rest of your men and brother?" Myrte held a stoic look on her face, "Unfortunately I'm not sure, just the two of us came here, my brother is out for the night." She kept her eyes on his face showing no signs of fear.**

**Jasper looked bored, he was sitting there with his cards still in hand and patiently waited for the enemy to make the next move. The Lt. Fuhrer gave a sarcastic smile to them and snapped a small gun out of his sleeve he pointed it at Jasper's right arm. "Please do tell the truth, I have a lot of work to do now spit it out if you don't want any harm to come to Jasper." **

**Myrte shrugged her shoulders and took a sip from her cup on the table, "Well then lets just get this over with." She looked at Jasper with a look of pain and regret. "My men are somewhere here in Central but I'm not sure where, same with my brother." She wasn't fibbing, the group had already escaped through a tunnel they had created. **

**Her eyes shone with truth and the Lt. Fuhrer gave a pleased laugh, "Ah You know when you've been bested. I like that in a person, so what else can you tell me?" Jasper snorted, "We know nothing else, just that Thompson's goons have been after us for the past two weeks."**

**The man laughed again, "Yes well, you have a very special invitation that only lasts tonight." He turned and headed back to the door, "Grab them." Jasper and Myrte flew into action fighting back to back and catching the men off guard. The Lt. Fuhrer turned back and shot his gun at Jasper's right arm a small magnetic piece of metal with a wire attached stuck to the palm of his automail hand. Jasper fell over writhing in pain, electricity shooting into his automail and up into his entire body.**

**Myrte snapped her fingers the wire did not catch fire, she snapped again and again but the gun was flame proof as well. She then went for him and burned his boots. The man cursed and released the trigger, and Jasper's body stopped shaking. Myrte singed his eyebrows and then burned his sleeves. She was about to hit him hard when she felt hot breath on her neck.**

**She drove her elbow back but it hit what felt like rock instead of flesh. She slowly glanced behind her shoulder and took in a sharp breath. The men he had brought were chimera, people who had been crossed with animals with the help of alchemy. The man behind her was covered in a tough shell much like a tortoise. He moved relatively slow but her moment of shock gave him the chance to smash his fist into her stomach. She fell to her knees in pain and looked at Jasper, he was still lying face down but he was pushing himself up on his left arm.**

**He staggered to his feet and looked at the chimera around him, one woman looked like she had been fused with a leopard, she would be hard to fight. A gorilla, cobra, bear, tortoise and some kind of bird were the other chimera. Jasper shook his head, he felt sorry for the poor soldiers. The Lt. Fuhrer gave a signal and several of the chimera jumped on him. He kicked off one but claws raked his back and he yelled out in rage. **

**Something grabbed his automail arm, it was the cobra-man he had poisonous fangs! Jasper yanked his arm free and punched him with it. The cobra-man backed away the hood on his neck flattening menacingly. Jasper turned in time to get punched in the eye by the bear-man. He skidded across the room his left eyes swollen shut. **

**The leopard-woman rushed him and tried to catch him again with her claws but he blocked with his right arm and she hissed in pain. He had trouble watching her with just one eye. He jumped over her next swipe and planted his knee into her head. He jumped back as she stood straight up and glared at him with her cat eyes, her skin was covered in the leopard print pattern and she had a long thick tail that was moving from side to side angrily. **

**Jasper sighed as she leapt forward, he dodged her attack and clapped his hands and transmuted himself a spear from the ground. He pointed it at her and began to strike but she slashed it in two, **_**I hate chimera! **_**Myrte was finally back on her feet and snapping her fingers like crazy, she was really sorry for Hughes's house. **

**Black smoke filled the building blocking sight and causing everyone to choke. Jasper took his right arm and drove it into the leopard-woman's head knocking her unconscious. He was about to call for Myrte in the blackness but someone hit him over the head with a chair. The Lt. Fuhrer laughing was the last thing he remembered. **

**Myrte felt a hard blow against her back and she fell to the floor, arcs of wild burning pain shooting up and down her spine. She went black as unending pain took over her thoughts. The chimera changed back and they left with the prisoners, leaving Hughes's house in total chaos.**

**Alphonse Elric stopped, he just stood there and a shiver went up his spine. It wasn't because of the rain soaking through his clothes, he had always cared enough for people to know when they were in trouble. "Please be ok Jasper, Myrte." He whispered as he continued walking down the street. He turned a corner and bumped into someone, he looked over to apologize and saw a very familiar face. It was Denny and Maria Brosh. They were walking hand in hand and finely dressed. "Hello Mr. and Mrs. Brosh! How have you been?" **

**Maria smiled, after being cleared of Maes Hughes's murder she had let her hair grow long, the smile was genuine, "Alphonse you don't have to be so respectful to us." "I know but it just wouldn't feel right." He smiled helplessly, "How is Edward?" "Oh right you haven't seen him since the wedding, he's the same old Ed. Nothing has changed." **

**Denny pulled up a newspaper, "We figured this was false." Alphonse nodded, "No the enemy is trying to frame people again." Al looked down at his watch and waved farewell, "I have to be somewhere, it was good to see you again." "Same here Alphonse!" **

**The happy couple continued on their way, Maria looked at Denny, "I hope everything goes well for them, being framed for a military crime can destroy a reputation in just a few hours. I was lucky to have Mustang see through the lies." Denny held her closer as they walked down the street under their umbrella.**

**Central was buzzing with talk about Mustang and Elric the next morning. Hughes's house was off limits to civilians and the wreckage checked out by a prominent state alchemist known for his technique in building houses. He verified that the burns on the walls and the hole in the floor were caused by alchemy. Someone said they had seen the fugitives the day before in the early afternoon. Papers were printed with a photograph of Hughes's poor house and a story that said Mustang and Elric had struck again but that the victim was her own family! **

**People pulled children indoors and mps and soldiers were crawling all over the city apprehending anyone who looked anything like the fugitives who were said to be on a murderous rampage against the state. The fact that Hughes had disappeared sent fear into every person in Central. Things were getting out of hand and none of Mustang's subordinates knew what to do.**


	8. Chapter 8

Hughes saw the damage to his house on the front page of the paper, he cursed and tore the page in two. He was going to kill his sister for this, how was he going to pay for the repairs? He certainly wasn't going to hire an alchemist, they were troublesome enough already. He sighed as he hurried through the rainy streets of Central, he had to catch the train heading for East City. Hughes Mustang just wasn't the type who survived on the battle field, somehow he had gotten the less visible character traits from his parents. Most of his life had been spent listening to people tell him he had no backbone, unfortunately it was very true. He arrived at the station with just seconds to spare, he sighed in relief as he sat down hoping no one would recognize him.

Jasper groaned as he gained consciousness, his muscles were tight and his head still throbbing. He was lying on his stomach with his right arm under him, his chest was sore and he was furious. Myrte was sitting up to his left and talking to someone, the room was so dark he could barely see her. He looked to the dim light's source and saw a wall sconce burning across the room and outside of the iron bars holding them in. Jasper sat up and found his right arm was not connected.

He cursed silently as he pulled it up to the joint and pushed it in slowly. If he had anything wrong he could injure the nerves or ruin his automail. He heard the click and shoved it in all the way he cringed and kept from yelling as the pain coursed through his joint.

Myrte looked over at him and sighed with relief, "I'm glad you can do that yourself, I have no clue how automail works." "Yeah well, I probably shouldn't be doing it alone. Where are we?" "I'm not sure." A voice from across the room answered the question, "We are all in a secret underground lab where chimera are created. My brother and I have been here for 2 years, we're one of their experiments. You guys are the children of those famous alchemists, right?"

It was a young woman and she had been talking to Myrte, "I'm Laina Atherton my brother Collin is having some tests run on him right now." "Jasper Elric, so if you're an experiment that would mean that you're a chimera am I correct?" "Unfortunately yes, my brother and I were fused with eagles." Her voice was tinged with sadness and despair. Obviously she had been through a lot.

"Do you know who runs this place?" Laina was silent. "Please, if you know don't keep it to yourself. If we stop whoever runs this place we'll get you and your brother free." Jasper was desperate for information and ready to make a deal with the other prisoners in this dark jail. She looked at him closely, "You would help us?" Jasper nodded, "You don't deserve to be stuck here." Myrte got close and whispered in his ear, "Are you sure you can promise freedom to her? What if we fail?"

Jasper shook his head, "Failure is not an option here Colonel. I plan on getting out of here as soon as possible." Myrte nodded her agreement and spoke to Laina. "Please give us the information, I know you're scared but we can help. Trust me. We are only trying to save the country." Laina took a deep breath, "The Lt. Fuhrer is behind the whole scheme, him and his goons are planning a coop of the government. The new military is too much like the old for anything to be good. But he wants supreme control without a council or a military. He wants a private army of chimera."

The door opened with a scream like squeak, flooding the massive chamber in light. Cages were arranged in rows and filled with chimera of all kinds, Jasper and Myrte looked at Laina and both gasped audibly, the girl had huge wings sprouting from her back. However that was not as surprising as the fact that the wings were automail, in place of feathers she had huge panels of steel that fanned out from the wrist joint.

Her eyes had the gleam of intelligence found in birds of prey and she saw the two's reaction. Two figures blocked the light, one was an armed scientist holding a strange looking gun, he was pushing forward a young man who had the same features as Laina including the huge steel wings.

_That must be Collin._ Jasper watched as they put him in with Laina, but he was too sluggish to be alright.

He stumbled into the cage and fell into his sister's arms, the guard slammed it shut and hurried back out. The door closed and the darkness returned. Laina was looking at Collin with a worried look on her face, she was wiping his sweaty face with her shirt, and looking around for help.

"What's wrong with him?" Jasper called as he watched the man's chest fall up and down unsteadily. "I don't know but he's barely breathing! I think they drugged him again. Last time he went with them he passed out in front of me, it lasted for so long." She was scared now, Jasper reached into his pocket for his gloves, and found nothing. His watch was gone too, he had nothing to draw a transmutation circle either.

Myrte pulled a sheet of paper from her pocket but nothing else, the two sat trying to figure out a way to get free. They didn't want to wait for their turn with the enemy. Jasper reached into the inside of his jacket and opened up a secret pocket, he pulled out a tiny screwdriver, and laughed. He unscrewed the cover panel on his arm and opened up the joint, a small amount of grease covered the inner workings for easy movement.

He rubbed his finger in it and drew on the piece of paper with the grease. He drew a perfect transmutation circle on it and grinned at Myrte as he replaced the removed parts to his automail. Jasper took the paper and placed it on the ground and opened the cage. They weren't going to hang around any longer.

Jasper hurried to Laina's cage and used the circle to open the door, he climbed inside and looked at Collin. He was barely breathing and covered in sweat. Jasper tried to lift him up but he was too heavy with his automail. Myrte came up from behind and grabbed his feet, Laina watched as the two lifted the young man and began for the door. But the metal wings dragged on the ground, they set him on his side and Jasper took a look at the automail.

It was beautiful, with immaculate detail to proportion and weight. Jasper checked the connections, they were locked in a way he had never seen before. He cursed, "I can't remove the wings, I have no clue how this was done." Laina sighed, "You can lock the wings against his back, I can tell you how." She directed Jasper in loosening the joints and forcing the wings closed and then locking them in place.

They picked him back up and pushed forward they had to get out without getting caught, they had no way of fighting. The door was locked so Jasper made his own off to the side, they hurried into a long dim hall. "There are chimera guards hiding everywhere. Let me lead the way." Laina whispered as she took the lead.

They got 3 feet down the hall before something came out of the shadows, it was a wolf-man who stepped out of the shadows his fanged mouth twisted in a sinister grin. Laina let out a high pitched screech that made the chimera cringe with his hands covering his pointed ears. The sound had no effect to Jasper and Myrte, and Laina wrapped her wings around her in a shield and ran straight into the other chimera.

Jasper winced at the loud thud and they followed the girl she led them down halls that got brighter as they continued. Laina stopped, "We should have run into a whole lot more chimera, something isn't right." Her voice was laced with fear, and Jasper was the first to hear the scraping sound.

It was from behind them and it had a distinct air about it that sent a chill down his spine. Myrte caught the sound just as he began to speak, "Colonel, set him down we've got company." She nodded and Laina knelt beside him, Jasper stood on one side facing the source of the scraping sound and Myrte stood guard at the other, the Athertons between them.

The scraping sound stopped and a rasping breath blew over them it hit their faces and was warm and moist. Two gleaming yellow eyes pierced through the dark staring straight at Jasper. He took a step back as a huge serpent came out of the shadows. It was grey green and covered in scales the size of dinner plates. It had row upon row of razor sharp teeth the size of a regular knife, and it had two front legs that were undersized. But they pulled the creature forward, with talons that dug into the floor.

Jasper reacted lightning fast dropping to the ground using the circle to turn the ground under it into spikes. The monstrosity made a sound that could have been mistaken for laughter. It rose up to reveal the spikes had not even dented his huge scales. Then it lunged forward its yellow eyes focused on Jasper, flames exploded out of nowhere and forced it to retreat. Myrte grinned at her subordinate as she struck another match, on her hand she had drawn a transmutation circle with what looked like mud.

Another bout of flames assaulted the monster and it roared in rage, the flames kept coming at it. In an attempt to save itself it dropped its head to the floor, and once the flames let up it slid forward and grabbed Jasper in its jaws. He kept the massive teeth from coming down on him by blocking with his right arm, in his left hand the transmutation circle was still complete. Myrte watched in fear as he placed the paper against the thing's mouth, the circle glowed blue and the soft flesh exploded.

Jasper hit the stone floor with a thud followed by a shower of blood, Laina ducked over her brother her wings shielding them from it. Myrte didn't wait and attacked the disfigured open mouth, the creature roared in anguish as the flames ate through its insides. The eyes rolled back and Jasper jumped out of the way as it fell to the ground, a sickening thud rocking the ground beneath their feet.

Myrte looked at the monster in disdain then at her comrade, "You alright?" He nodded wiping blood from his forehead, "Ugh I nearly lost my automail." He tore his sleeve off to reveal that the connection had come loose again, "This won't be easy to repair," He pushed it back in and winced. Laina looked at the monster, "That thing must have replaced the other guards. I've never seen it before."

Myrte and Jasper dusted themselves off and grabbed Collin again, they then pushed forward, hoping that there were no other guards. After a hundred yards of walking through the dim hall they heard voices, two chimera guards were talking as they stood at their post. They held guns and were dressed all in black. They were standing in front of two large wooden doors that were carved with an ornate design.

They set Jasper down as they prepared to jump the guards, Myrte pulled out one last match and checked the circle on her hand. Jasper carved a circle into the floor, "Ok, you just make a smoke screen. I'll keep them from going anywhere." Myrte nodded and she lit the match, a small explosion followed but it was the smoke that came after that was dangerous. It was thick and black, Jasper coughed as he transmuted the ground to wrap around the guards sealing them in stone prisons.

Jasper then checked the door but it was locked, someone from inside the room heard the handle move and opened the door from the inside. It was the Lt. Fuhrer himself, Jasper landed a steel fist in his face and grinned as the man staggered back. Myrte grabbed one of the dropped guns and fired all around the man, "Surrender or you'll be my next target." The enemy laughed, "My dear Colonel Mustang why would I do that?" He grinned at her as he stood up his face not even red, "You really don't know how to punch someone do you?"

Jasper dropped to his circle and the ground came up in a fist knocking the wind out of the Lt. Fuhrer. Jasper smirked at the slight blood that came up from the other man's mouth. Myrte watched as the man moved to attack and fired her gun at him, she nailed him in the leg, and then hit the other, he went down and cursed. "You alchemists always have another attack don't you? So do I"

He stood up, the wounds still bleeding and lunged forward his right arm suddenly changing into a sword. Jasper ducked out of the way and Myrte fired again, however the bullet glanced off of his arm. Jasper quickly drew a circle on his automail and transmuted it into a sword. "I happen to have the newest style of automail! It has a cover that looks and feels like skin."

Jasper parried and feigned but the man blocked and struck Jasper's arm hard. _SNAP!_ The shoulder joint finally gave but held still. Jasper duck and tried an alchemy attack, spikes shot into the enemy. A fresh pile of blood stained the ground, and Myrte used the opportunity to shoot, she had both guns and fired wildly at him. He fell to the ground bullet casings falling to the ground with soft plinks.

Jasper stood and jumped up as the Lt. Fuhrer attempted to slice his legs from under him, then slammed his right elbow into his head. The man's head hit the ground and Myrte grinned as she helped Laina back on her feet. "He wasn't that hard, I wonder if there is someone higher up than him." Her speculation was answered by a deep laughter that came from no where and every where.

"Ha ha! I am surprised you made it this far, but I warn you that what comes next will be your undoing." Myrte and Jasper searched in the darkness but nothing appeared from the shadows, the voice was gone but the spoken words haunted them both. They opened the double doors to look into an empty room, it was well lit and they all blinked as they adjusted to the sudden light. It was empty except for a desk with a phone on it.

Jasper picked up the receiver and put it to his ear, the line was already dead. "We should keep going they're way ahead of us." He was worried he was about to say something more when Collin groaned, his eyes opening. "Laina?" His voice was slurred and she put her hand on his forehead, "I'm here, your fever is gone!" "Why did they turn the lights on? I've never seen those guards before."

Myrte inspected the room while Jasper knelt next to Collin, "We aren't guards, we happen to be prisoners as well and we are escaping. We helped your sister and you get out." Collin sat up, and his eyes finally focused on the room, "We are out! Where are we?" Laina hugged him, "We're still in the building but we've gotten to the Lt. Fuhrer's office."

Collin stood and stretched his arms, "Why is my automail locked?" Laina unlocked it quickly, "They had to carry you, it was easier without your wings dragging on the ground." Collin looked at Jasper and Myrte in thanks and his eyes grew big, "You two are Mustang and Elric!" They nodded, "Yes and we are trying to stop the Lt. Fuhrer and his plans."

Jasper suddenly fell to the ground, his body twitching in convulsions. Myrte rushed to him, "Jasper what's wrong?!" She grabbed his body and tried to steady the shaking, but it was to no avail. The Athertons came up and Collin cursed aloud, "They drugged him! They use chemicals that can take hours for the full affect to hit. His adrenaline must have triggered the reaction, they use this stuff all the time. It's supposed to cause stroke-like symptoms after adrenaline mixes with it in the blood."

"It has a tendency to cause death if the victim is not given the antidote, I don't know where they keep it. We have maybe two hours to find it and administer it to him." Laina added. Myrte and Collin picked up his still twitching body and they hurried out of the room, Laina led the way down the hallway. Fifteen minutes later Jasper was completely calm and his heart rate slowing down, Myrte looked worried for the first time.

Havoc and Armstrong sat in the rundown shack, they were worried, it had been four whole days since they had left Mustang and Elric to face the enemy alone. Both were sleep deprived, edgy and very hungry. The two were waiting to hear from the others, they had gone into town and were keeping on eye on Central. Alphonse Elric had left town, he was headed for Risembool and his family. They all were worried about Mustang and Elric, Jessica had disappeared the first and no one had heard from her since.


	9. Chapter 9

Collin tripped again as he carried Jasper in his arms, the uneven floor was deadly. Myrte tried to keep her mind calm but her heart was racing at a speed unusual even for her, Jasper falling to the ground kept replaying in her mind. She hung behind Collin, her eyes on the ground refusing to allow herself to sneak a peek at her comrade. Laina led the way, she was sure she could find the medical supply room, she had been there once. As they ran down the hall she silently berated herself for the whole incident.

She just hoped they would find the room in time, "30 minutes." Collin said as he kept the time in his head. Laina stopped as they found the supply room, she held the door open. Collin put Jasper down gently as they began searching for the cure, "Its labeled with the letters R and A, it is a bluish clear liquid." Laina had seen it before, she was confident that was the antidote.

Myrte searched the shelves of glass bottle with earnest, her eyes scanning for blue tinge liquids, it cut down the search by a lot. She then read labels with a speed trained eyes, the fact that target shooting required speed was a help in this situation. Unfortunately there was no organization what so ever, someone had put just anything on the shelves. The search became desperate a few minutes later when Collin updated the time since Jasper's reaction, "40 minutes."

Hughes Mustang stared at the soldiers who were sitting in the bar, they were in uniform and paying close attention to the other customers around them. Of course he had to come out of the bathroom to find two armed soldiers on break, he had felt his skin pale and he hurriedly went right back in to the tiny room. He looked at himself in the mirror and used the water to pull his hair to the side. He pulled a pair of reading glasses from his pocket and placed them on his face.

He just hoped the soldiers didn't know his face very well, he looked at himself and sighed, "Why do we look just like our parents?" He came up with an alias and took a deep breath he would just walk straight past them.

He walked out into the room and strode past the two with what he hoped was confidence he was just reaching for the door handle, "Hey you!"

Hughes turned around slowly as he tried to keep a calm composure. "Yes?" He asked politely, he hoped he didn't have that look that said 'I've been caught!'

Myrte fell to the floor in despair as Collin whispered the final time update, "Its been 55 minutes." Laina's wings flashed out in anger knocking over numerous glass bottles from the shelves behind her. The bottles shattered on the stone floor, liquids pooling on the floor and mixing. The chemicals reacted with small explosions and while others bubbled. The stench was horrible and the fumes were dangerous. Myrte began to follow the other two out her head slumped over, her eyes on the ground before her feet. Her heart was heavy, she could cry right now but she was still in the middle of a mission.

As her soul grew heavier as she felt the seconds to Jasper's end coming up her eyes became moist. She tried to fight the salty tears but they began to fall slowly, streams ran down her filthy cheeks and she wiped the moisture from her face with a rough swipe of her sleeve. This couldn't be the end, Jasper had never explained what he meant when he had said that he loved her. _What did he mean? Did he mean he loved me like a sister or was there more to his words?_

She glanced over at Collin carrying Jasper's limp body and then at th shelves Laina had cleared with her wings. There in the very back was a large glass jar filled with a blue liquid, it was not labeled but Myrte knew what she was looking at. She walked over to it, the burning chemicals began to eat through her shoes instantly. She grabbed the jar and then hurried to find a syringe.

She rushed to the others and cried out, "Wait I found it!" The twins stopped and Collin set Jasper down. Myrte quickly opened the jar and filled the syringe to the top and drove it into Jasper's thigh. She forced all of the liquid into him and then pulled the needle out. Laina and Collin watched, hoping that it would be all right.

Jasper's pale cheeks didn't move, and his chest wasn't moving either. She felt for a pulse but felt nothing, and she screamed at him. She cursed aloud to his still face, and this time she welcomed the tears. They fell like rain onto the floor and Jasper's face, she sat there stone still the only sound was her own sobbing. Collin closed his eyes and silently prayed, while his sister cried too. Her tears fell silently though, she was crying for Myrte and her tears were fewer and not filled with pain but sympathy.

Hughes Mustang sighed with relief as the two soldiers said their goodbyes as they left the bar. He was nearly ready to pass out after spending five minutes talking to them, they hadn't recognized him but they had asked about any suspicious behavior. As he ordered himself another drink he slumped on the bar stool and the man behind the counter gave him a quizzical look.

He sat up and leaned in close to the bar tender, "I just lost my house and I have just enough money for a couple drinks. My ex-wife is married to one of those soldiers, I don't think he recognized me." He flat out lied to save himself, what else could he do. The man nodded knowingly and poured him another drink, "So what do you think of the Mustang and Elric situation? Personally I doubt they have done all this evil, they are the children of our heroes."

"I don't know, I agree that it is most likely not true but then who is doing all of this?" The big man rubbed his mustache and shrugged, "I have no clue." He rubbed his bald head and took care of another customer with a smile. He was a big man, muscular and tall but his eyes shone with mirth and he had a permanent smile on his face.

Hughes finished his drink with a final swallow and left his money on the counter next to the empty glass. He had to get to somewhere safe for the night, with the sun beginning to sink bellow the buildings of Central he wanted to be somewhere quiet. He knew he should probably find Havoc and Armstrong but he wasn't in the mood to go looking for his sister's comrades.

The bar tender turned to ask Hughes a question and saw the empty glass with twice the money owed next to it. He picked it up and looked out the window confused, "He must really be down on his luck, poor guy." He put the glass in the sink and began to wipe down the counter.

Meanwhile Hughes found himself staring right into the eyes of his father. Roy Mustang stood staring at his son confused, he wasn't sure if it was his son. Hughes was silent for another moment then spoke up, "Dad?" Roy nodded, "What's going on with your sister?" "Not here, come with me." Roy nodded knowingly and they headed off down the street.

It had been 20 minutes and Myrte had stopped the water works momentarily. Her eyes were red and she was not in her right mind, she looked up at his body. She grabbed his chest and lifted him up several inches, "You Idiot! Why'd you go and die on me? I still need your help! I need you…" She stopped as a sob choked her words, and she coughed. "I need you…I love you." She whispered it to the lifeless body, willing the eyes to open and his voice to touch her ringing ears.

Nothing happened for a moment and she dropped his limp form and it hit the ground with a soft thud, that did it. Myrte turned eyes full of hatred on his body, she glared at him with such a fierceness that both Collin and Laina were scared. Myrte let out a string of colorful words just for Jasper, she was hurt more than anything else.

Her words were harsh and echoed through the long dark corridor, her feet were severely burnt from the chemicals and she had no energy left. She was mentally dead and her eyes were swollen and stung from her own tears. Her clothes were filthy, she didn't know the way out of this prison, and she had lost the first man she had ever truly loved. Her heart couldn't take the stress of it all, her soul was drowning in sorrow and she couldn't stop it.

She raised her right arm high above her head, she meant to strike him in her anger. Laina began to speak but Myrte silenced her with a single word, "DON'T!" Her eyes turned on the girl for a moment and they ate right through her soul and she kept quiet. Collin turned his head away and Laina followed his lead, they waited to hear the sickening sound that would come with her attack.

Her conscious tried to stop her and for a moment she hesitated, _I shouldn't do this to his body. But he left me! I'm here all alone, I love him and he left me! HE LEFT ME! _She nodded as she regained her resolve and she let her anger take hold of her body. She lifted her arm high and swung with what little strength she had left.

Collin and Laina covered their ears and screwed their eyes closed, they wanted nothing to do with her violent reaction to his death. They didn't hear any loud noise and wondered if she had given up, but a second later they heard a sound but it was not what they were expecting.

It sounded more like someone getting whacked by a piece of steel, and they waited a few seconds before they opened their eyes. What they saw was not the expected.

Myrte had swung with all her might and it had been stopped short. She closed her eyes thinking it had been her conscious, except that her arm suddenly felt cold and it stung with pain. She opened her eyes slowly to see Jasper's automail holding her arm just inches from his chest, his face was still pale and motionless. Was his automail that broken that it was moving of its own accord? She was confused now.

"You really want to pound the man you love?" A very weak and raspy voice asked the question, and it was music to Myrte's ears. She pulled her arm away as a fresh wave of tears spilled from her eyes, she leaned forward and the tears landed on his face. "Hey watch it…" He whispered opening one eye slightly. She was leaning above him and her face was a mess of red blotchy skin with rivers of salty tears running down it. He gave her a weak smile as she took heavy breaths to calm herself.

He was suddenly aware of how much he had scared her. He felt bad for what had happened all though he really didn't know what had happened. All he knew was that he was extremely weak and she had thought he was dead. What's more was that she had answered the question he had been afraid to ask her. Jasper looked at her face and saw that she did love him just as much as he loved her.

He was beginning to realize it was much more than the love of a brother, he was attracted to her and he wanted to be with her. His soul was suddenly flooded with a floating feeling, he also suddenly felt the need to touch her. Jasper took a deep shaky breath as he felt his life slowly return. He had gained consciousness just as she was saying she loved him.

His heart beat fast in his chest as he wiped a single tear from her face with his left hand, he could feel the emotion from her soul within his own. They had nearly lost each other and they both were ready to quite hiding their feelings from each other. This close call had made the decision for them but he was glad they were aware of each other's love.

He suddenly felt the need to show her his love, to give her a promise that he would never leave her. Jasper was caught off guard by his own feelings and closed his eyes to clear the emotion and pain swimming through his mind. His entire body ached and his chest was heavy, he felt like fire had been pumped through his veins. He blocked out the pain and focused purely on his emotions.

_I want to seal our love with a token of my affection? Yes._ As he prepared for the boldest move in his life he let his emotions have just enough control over his body, he didn't want to go over board with this. Of course he was new to the whole love business and had to make sure he stayed within certain boundaries.

He couldn't hold himself back any longer. He grabbed her shoulder with his right arm and pulled himself up to her. He took her face with his left hand, his right had a death grip on her to keep from falling; he didn't have the strength to sit up. He pulled her face to his, closed his eyes, took a deep breath and forced his lips against hers, he was really not sure what he was doing he just knew it felt right. She grabbed his back and her lips pushed back, she too felt like this was right.

His right hand loosed from it's death grip and he poured passion into his lips, trying to communicate with just touch. She did the same and her fingers dug into his back, he finally broke their seal and yelped in pain. She loosened immediately and he sighed. They both looked at each other with a strange look in their eyes.

Unfortunately Jasper was too weak to even sit up, and he began to slip out of her arms. She managed to stop his head from smacking the stone and collin came and hoisted him up. "Laina, my feet are burned, those chemicals ate right through my boots." She lifted a foot to reveal little shreds of leather stuck to her foot in a puzzle-like pattern, with patches of her bare foot. Her feet were burnt, and it was bad, her feet were bright red and the skin was raw with blisters that were bleeding.

Laina helped her up and put most of the older woman's wait on herself, "Come on, we need to get you both to a doctor." They hurried through the tunnels hoping that the exit was near. Jasper lost consciousness at some point and Myrte was half asleep when they opened the final doors to the surface.

Laina and Collin pushed open the door, they were hit with bright morning sunlight. They squinted up at the sky relief rushing through their souls, they had not seen the sky for several years and it was a welcome sight. They set the two who had helped them escape down to rest their muscles, they were in the middle of no where. Rolling hills stretched to the east, just a few miles south of them was Central. They looked back at the tunnel entrance, the doors were made to look like the side of a hill and they closed it shut. There was no way they were going back in.

Laina checked the both of them, Myrte was squinting at the sunlight as she tried to sit up. Her feet were worse, they were caked in dried blood and you couldn't tell if the burning had stopped yet. Jasper coughed and opened one eye to the sky, "Are we out?" his voice was beginning to sound normal, it was stronger and not so raspy. Myrte smiled slightly, "Yes we're out, but now we have to get to Central."

Collin looked at the three of his companions thoughtfully, "We can get you there in no time, but you might not like my idea. It requires my sister and I giving you two a ride, through the sky." He watched their faces, Jasper looked skeptical and tried to think of another, better idea. Myrte nodded slowly, "We have no choice but to allow you to give us further aid in our mission." Laina grinned, "I've always wanted to fly above the earth." Jasper had been getting used to the idea of flying, but Laina's words made him even more nervous.

"Wait a minute." He propped himself up on his right arm, using it like a crutch. "You aren't sating you guys have never actually flown before are you?" Collin shrugged just to play with the other man, "We can fly quite well thank you. They had a huge cavernous room underground that we were trained in, we can even attack the enemy from the sky." He grinned at Jasper boastfully. Myrte sighed with relief and was about to speak when the doors burst open with an explosion.

Collin and Laina took a battle stance between the tunnel and their comrades. The Lt. Fuhrer stepped out with a sour look on his face, "You can not escape me!" He was limping slightly and his clothes were soaked with blood, "Now you will face my army of chimera!" He backed back into the tunnel laughing as full animal chimera rushed from it.


End file.
